


The Lost Prince

by xSilentHarmony



Category: Glee
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Medieval, F/F, F/M, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, M/M, Multi, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-22
Updated: 2017-01-17
Packaged: 2018-01-09 14:31:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 30
Words: 44,319
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1147098
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xSilentHarmony/pseuds/xSilentHarmony
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In a world surrounded by rebellion, the kingdom of Avarencia stands as the last kingdom without war. The ruling family, the Smythes, is preparing for their only princess’ seventeenth birthday ball when tragedy strikes, and Princess Cecily is stolen from their care to be hostage to the rebellion. Their sister stands to survive her captivity and escape as one brother, Crown Prince Edward, stands to bring her home, and the other, Prince Sebastian, stands between following his brother’s lead and distracting himself from the truth that he let his lust keep him from saving his sister by sleeping (and falling in love) with the man he’d been with that night.</p><p>In a world where you stand at the highest one can stand, it’s only fate that the gods would send you crashing down.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This is the story I have spent the last months working extensively on. It's gone through different rewrites, lots of research, and a lot of annoying on my part to my fabulous beta Lari (Larinia713 on Tumblr). To get you in the correct mindset, I've compiled a YouTube playlist of fan videos involving different period dramas I've come to truly enjoy in this journey. You can watch it [HERE](http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHOVjyX8KbVxKvLvj5BRTgZLv7OVS8GOV).
> 
> Please bear with me in posting, I'm currently very busy with school and life itself.
> 
> Also, this story heavily involves OCs that I've created. In fact, this story really only involves Kurt and Sebastian with good reason. Please bear that in mind while reading along with the fact that this story will involve major character deaths (it's a fantasy story set in a medieval world. People will die), but enjoy the journey to that point!
> 
> Finally, I'd like to take the time to thank the likes of Toto, Mandi, Katt, Lari, and everyone who deals with me on a daily basis as I fangirled while thinking up the story. You guys really are troopers!

_“All the world's a stage,_

_And all the men and women merely players:_

_They have their exits and their entrances;_

_And one man in his time plays many parts,_

_His acts being seven ages.” -- As You Like It, Act II, Scene VII_

** TWELVE YEARS AGO **

“Tell the story again,” Cecily asked. She tangled her hands together, bright blue eyes wide with anticipation as she stared at her eldest brother, Crown Prince Edward Smythe IV. Beside her sat her older brother, Sebastian, who stared at Edward with equal interest.

Cecily had just turned five and Sebastian had turned seven a few weeks back. Their brother, Edward, was now sixteen.

Turning his hazel eyes to his siblings, Edward smiled softly and looked up at his lady mother who had stood silently in the doorway long enough to see her children invested in the story.

“Perhaps Lady Mother would be better suited for the story. I’m no good at this thing,” Edward said. He nodded to his mother before standing. “I must attend to Jasper now.” With that, Edward left the room and their mother entered.

“Momma,” Sebastian said as he stared up at her with his vibrant green eyes.

She took in the two children left in the room with a soft smile on her face. Both Sebastian and Cecily looked alike and yet so different. Where Sebastian inherited the same prominent nose that Edward had, Cecily had her mother’s softer nose. Where Sebastian had light brunette hair, Cecily’s already was turning to a darker brunette. And yet, both held the same smile that could only be the trait of a Smythe.

“Yes, my darlings?” Queen Margery Smythe knelt between her children and motioned for them to come closer. Both Cecily and Sebastian scooted as close as they could before their mother wrapped her arms around them.

“Tell us the story of the lost prince,” Cecily said. She smiled up at Margery. “It’s our favorite story.”

“Of course of course,” Margery said. She breathed in before beginning the tale.

“In a land just west of us, there was a kingdom. A happy kingdom. The king and queen there had a long history in that land. The queen at the time, Queen Elisabeth Powell, had a son they named Kurt, when her husband suddenly took a turn for the worst. Done in by what we know as the sleeping illness, King Charles simply went to sleep and he never woke up.”

Cecily gasped. She looked at Sebastian before looking back at her mother. “Co—could that happen to us?”

Margery smiled. “No sweetheart. Our medics now know the cure to such an illness and what to look for before it happens. We are safe from such an illness.

“Now, as I was saying. When the king died suddenly, the land of Tiavor was left without a ruler. As Elisabeth was from another land, she was not the true ruler of Tiavor. It could only be her son on the throne.”

“But Kurt was merely a baby, and he couldn’t rule,” Sebastian said.

“Exactly. So the counsel had to declare a lord regent until Kurt became of age. The counsel declared Kurt’s Uncle Philip to be lord regent.” Margery looked at her two children, waiting for them to interrupt. When they didn’t, she continued. “Kurt’s mother, Queen Elisabeth, did not want Philip to be Lord Regent, but instead wished for her own brother to be regent to protect Kurt. It was known throughout the kingdoms that Elisabeth’s brother was as loyal as one’s personal knight and would never do as Philip was about to do. As Philip descended upon the throne, he convinced the counsel to declare himself king with the intent of giving the people a stable kingdom. However, Elisabeth feared for her only son. After all, what was to stop a man from stealing into their room and taking him from her?”

“So she devised a plan,” Cecily said. “And she plotted to steal her own son from the castle.”

“She did,” Margery replied. “And as she left, a rebellion broke out in Tiavor over Philip’s usurping of the throne. The gods looked down on Philip for stealing the throne from his own family, and as he fought to keep the rebellion from his own home, Elisabeth and Kurt ran away into the woods near the castle.”

“And they were never heard from again,” Sebastian whispered. His eyes were wide as he nibbled on his bottom lip. “Momma, do you think they live to this day?”

Margery ran her hand through her son’s hair, thinking about how he would need a haircut soon. Did she believe her once good friend still lived? Part of her hoped. This world would be a lot better with Elisabeth Powell still in the world. This rebellion threatening their very own doorstep would end if they were still alive. The other part of her feared the worst; what if Philip had had the two killed before they could escape? Surely she couldn’t tell her own children that story though. They were innocent.

“I do. And if Kurt was to ever emerge, I bet you and he would be great friends.” She smiled and rubbed Cecily and Sebastian’s heads. “Now, off to bed you two. It will be very difficult to wake you two up in the morning if you’re still up when the sun rises.”

“Goodnight Momma,” Cecily and Sebastian said. They stood up and walked to their respective beds. As they got comfortable, Margery walked over and tucked them both in. She kissed both of their heads before leaving the room with the two silent guards who moved to stand outside the door.

As much as Margery wanted to believe her friend was alive, she also knew one thing: she would die before she let her own children feel threatened by family.

Margery made it to her bedroom on the other end of the castle in time to find her husband finishing with a courtier.

“Leave us,” Margery said as she glared at the blonde who looked to be barely older than her eldest son. The courtier bowed and left the room.

“Really, Margery?” William huffed.

“I am your wife, and as much as you hate me, you will do me the decency to keep those whores from our marital bed.” Margery began to pull her dress from her body. She pulled her bedclothes on and walked over to the bed.

“I could never hate you, Margery.” William reached for her and pulled her close to him. As much as she hated when he betrayed their martial vows, she still loved him. She reached up and caressed his face softly.

“Then why do you do this to me?” Margery asked in a whisper.

Instead of answering, William leaned down and kissed his wife on the lips. As much as he loved his wife, he was the king of Avarencia, and a king could do whatever he wished.


	2. Gauntlet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much to those who have read so far and the response I've gotten so far! It means so much! I have figured it up and I think, if I keep up with the progress I am making with writing chapters ahead, I can post chapters weekly. So, for now, I'm going to shoot for posting a chapter a week.
> 
> I hope you guys enjoy this next chapter! Thanks again :)

_"We are each our own devil, and we make this world our hell." - Oscar Wilde_

 

As the servant slid the needle through her hair to thread a ribbon through the braids, Cecily smoothed her hands down her sky blue dress. The bodice ended in a V after her breasts and was tied tight to her chest through strings on the back of her dress with the rest of her dress fell to the floor with a flare. Her eyes watched the tiny jewels that had been sewn onto the bodice and the tie-on arm pieces that let poofs of Cecily’s chemise show through.

Today was Cecily’s seventeenth birthday.

“Cecily, good, you are awake.” The servant finished and stepped away as Edward walked towards his sister. At twenty-eight, Edward Smythe was one of the biggest bachelors in their world. Many princesses wished for the chance to stand by his side. Many kings wished to make the deal with King William to join their kingdoms.

“It is my birthday, Edward.” Cecily smiled. “You do not expect me to waste the day sleeping, do you?” She stepped towards him and waved the servants in the room away. When they were alone save for the guards in front of the doors, she asked in a low voice, “What is wrong?”

“Father seems to be looking for Sebastian and Lady Mother is holding him off. If I go to look for him, Father will notice and have every reason to punish him and I. If it looks as if I am still practicing with the other knights that may hold him off long enough for Sebastian to make it onto the field.”

Cecily nodded before grasping her hands in front of her. She tilted her head up to look at her brother. “I will find him. You keep Father distracted.”

Smiling, Edward kissed the side of Cecily’s forehead before jogging out of the room. He stopped at the doorway, turned, and said, “And happy birthday, Sister.”

“Thank you,” Cecily replied. She then walked out of the room with her shoulders down and her head held high like she had been trained to do since birth. After she was out of the room, she dropped her hands and took off on a brisk walk. She walked through the endless hallway until she reached the nearest spiral staircase. She walked up the steps as quickly as her shoes allowed. When she made it to the fourth floor of the castle, she began the trek down the sunlit hallway. She closed her eyes, soaking in the heat from the sun as she continued down the hallway. She opened her eyes and turned right, heading down another hallway. She walked to the first door on the right and stopped.

Inside the room, she could hear the sounds of someone grunting.

“Sebastian,” Cecily said loudly. She looked at the two guards outside the door who shook their heads. She knew then not to walk inside. “You’re needed in the courtyard.”

The grunts continued.

“Sebastian!” Cecily said louder. She balled her hand into a fist and banged on the door as hard as she could. She pulled her hand away and massaged it, hoping he would open the door sooner rather than later.

A loud grunt was heard, and then it sounded as if it stopped. Cecily breathed in and waited for her brother to emerge.

When Sebastian emerged, his hair looked truly disheveled and even with the door covering his body, Cecily could tell he had only haphazardly thrown on underclothes.

“Sister,” Sebastian said. “I was busy.”

“Father requests your presence on the courtyard. Lady Mother and Edward are keeping him occupied but you need to be there as soon as possible before he realizes,” Cecily replied.

“Surprised he even noticed I wasn’t there,” he mused.

“He hasn’t. Yet. Now hurry up,” Cecily said. She crossed her hands in front of her chest and pursed her lips and raised an eyebrow.

“Of course he hasn’t.” Sebastian pushed away from the door and let the door fly open. As he moved to gather his chemise in place, Cecily watched the boy in Sebastian’s room bow before exiting with his head down. She turned back to see Sebastian pulling on his doublet before moving to pull on his breeches. He grabbed his belt and tied a loose knot on the right side around his waist.

“Aren’t you forgetting something?” Cecily asked. At Sebastian’s confused look, she pointed to his feet.

“Right,” he said. He grabbed his shoes and tugged them on. He laced them up before standing. It would not do to wear the jewelry of his station. Gods knew what he was getting into in the courtyard.

He began to leave the room with Cecily behind him. She moved to walk in step with him as they began their trek down the stairs.

“Do you know what this is about?” Sebastian asked.

“I have not a clue,” Cecily replied. “Perhaps there is a tournament to be occurring soon?”

“Yes, because Father would love a chance for me to die honorably,” Sebastian said. “I almost died in the last tournament.”

“You barely got scraped, Sebastian. Father does not wish for you to die.”

“He doesn’t even realize I’m alive, Cecily,” Sebastian said. With that, they stopped their conversation until they reached the courtyard. Cecily stepped beside her mother and watched Sebastian steal a sword from a nearby knight and run up to Edward.

For the next few hours, Cecily sat next to her mother and watched the boys sparring with one another. They stood and cheered whenever Edward or Sebastian won until their father stood from his chair. Smoothing his hands down his outfit, King William moved from the stands.

“What’s going on?” Cecily asked.

“I am not sure, but surely your father knows not to do what I believe he is about to do. Even he should know he is not in proper condition to spar now.” Margery shook her head.

Spar? Why would her father wish to spar? Cecily watched as the squires suited King William up for a sparring match and watched her father walk onto the courtyard. He slid his sword into its sheath at his side and pulled the gauntlet from one of his hands. He walked up to Sebastian and dropped it in front of him.

This could not be good.

“William, what in the Gods names are you doing?” Margery asked. She stood from her seat and moved to the railings. “This is practice, nothing more. Let the boys continue.”

“I will teach my youngest son a lesson and you will bide your tongue, Wife.”

Cecily watched her mother bow her head and shuffle back to her seat. In that moment, Cecily knew just how old her mother was. The skin around her mother’s dark blue-green eyes had begun to sink in, and if one looked close enough, they could spot her mother’s dark hair beginning to lighten with inevitable age.

“I am sure all will be fine, Lady Mother,” Cecily said. She reached for Margery’s hand. “Perhaps Father just misses the action.”

“Or he wishes to punish your brother,” Margery whispered.

On the courtyard, Sebastian knelt to grab the gauntlet. However, before he could reach it, Edward swooped in and grabbed the gauntlet himself.

“Edward, this is your brother’s fight,” William said.

“The first man to gather the gauntlet is the challenger. I gathered the gauntlet. It is my fight,” Edward said. He tossed the gauntlet back to his father and waved Sebastian away. Edward stood opposite his father, hand on his sword.

“Edward, back down,” William said.

“Why? You would never kill me, would you, Father? Should I be worried?” Edward asked.

“This is not a fight to the death,” William replied.

With that, the two pulled their respective swords from their sheaths and readied their positions. Cecily could feel her heart beating out of her chest. Her hands rung together; when she looked at a hand after a moment she noticed just how much she was shaking. She blinked and opened her eyes wide, hoping this was all a dream.

William moved first. He swung the sword high as if aiming for Edward’s head. Cecily held her breath and only let it out once Edward moved to block the attack. He pushed the two swords down, moving to slam his foot into William’s stomach while he was distracted. As William attempted to right himself, Edward moved back to the spot he’d started in. Cecily watched Edward’s hand clench and unclench around the grip of the sword before he moved on the offense. He struck his sword out and forced their father back even more.

As if a fury was unleashed, Edward began to strike and strike. As much as William tried to keep up, he simply couldn’t keep up until he was at the end of the courtyard and ready to lose their match.

With one more swing, William matched it and tried to force Edward back.

“You try to unhand me? Your king?” William shoved his son back. “I am Your Majesty. You will show me the respect I have earned.”

“Then do me the courtesy and give up, Father, because I will not lose this fight,” Edward said. He lunged his sword towards his father’s side. He bent low and pushed his father over the line, tumbling with him.

Edward stood and said in a voice that echoed through the courtyard, “I have won.”

 “As you have. I still wish to teach my other son a lesson on how to be here when I tell him to be.” William pushed himself from the ground and moved to where Sebastian had taken to stand next to the knight Cecily thought she’d seen him with earlier. Sebastian turned towards William with an eyebrow raised and a lazy smirk on his face.

“Father,” Sebastian said.

“You were late this morning,” William said. “And you thought I wouldn’t notice.”

“To be honest I figured you’d forgotten my existence,” Sebastian replied. He crossed his arms over his chest with the smirk still on his face.

“Next time you will pick up the gauntlet. I promise you that,” William said.

“And who’s to say I won’t beat you? I can take William in a sparring match,” Sebastian said.

“I am your father; do you really wish to push your luck this way?” William stepped close and murmured something to Sebastian that Cecily could not hear from where she stood. All she knew was that Sebastian’s face turned white as a sheet after that and after her father walked away, he stood clenching his jaw tightly.

Cecily feared what her father had said. Out of all of them, he always treated Sebastian the worst. Even Jasper, Edward’s bastard child, was treated better than Sebastian.

When she met up with Sebastian again, he refused to speak about it. Instead, he grinned and said he couldn’t wait for the ball that night. Everything about him showed that all was good, except if one truly looked into Sebastian’s eyes, they could see the signs of a boy who had the fear of gods put into him.

Cecily had almost forgotten it was her birthday. It’d gotten off to a horrible start after all.

“Hopefully the ball turns out better than this day has gone so far,” Cecily said. “I feel as if this day has been cursed with Father’s anger.”

Sebastian stopped walking down the hallway in the castle and turned Cecily towards him. Looking at her with those green eyes every girl in the castle gushes over (and some of the men too), he said, “Do not let Father’s anger damper your day. You are seventeen now. Practically an adult in our world’s eyes and I will not let you spend this day feeling as if it is cursed. Nor would Edward.”

Cecily smiled. She grasped his calloused hands tightly. “Thank you. Now, if you will excuse me. I must prepare for the ball. Lady Mother ordered a magnificent dress for the festivities and I just can’t wait to show it off.”

“You will look stunning in it I am sure,” Sebastian said. “And if you tell anyone I said that, well… let us just say that I will go to my grave denying that.”

“There’s the Sebastian I know,” Cecily replied. She stepped close and kissed his cheek before bouncing down the hallway for her room.


	3. Ball

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again to those who are reading! In case you want to know what song Sebastian dances to, it's "E.T." by ASTON (it's a classical cover. Very amazing!)

_"Hear my soul speak:_

_The very instant that I saw you, did_

_My heart fly to your service." – The Tempest, Act III, Scene I_

 

“Starting early, are we?” Edward stepped next to Sebastian and grabbed a goblet filled with wine. He sipped the drink and turned towards the stairs that his sister would walk down any moment.

“Well I’m going to need something in my system to deal with these nobles, if that’s what you mean,” Sebastian said. “I already smell the sick stench of peoples’ desperation. It disgusts me.” He kept his green eyes trained on the same staircase.

“That tends to happen when you’re royalty, Sebastian.” Though Edward tried to hide it, even he couldn’t help the little smirk at Sebastian’s remark. Every year around Cecily’s birthday, several nobles from their land and the surrounding kingdoms would venture here. In a world where others looked at Sebastian gravely for his personal life, he grew to despise this time of the year.

Coincidentally, it was also around this time that Sebastian seemed to move from knight to knight within hours of each lay.

“And yet they never treat me like the Smythe I am. Tell me, Edward, why is it I am looked down upon?” Sebastian turned to Edward and said, “No, wait, don’t answer that.”

“If you were in my shoes this would not happen,” Edward said.

“If I were in your shoes I would have died a mysterious death. Father can only take so much of me before even he sends me to learn a lesson.”

The people standing in the ballroom quieted as Princess Cecily began to enter the room. On her left stood her betrothed, Prince Alfonso de la Porte of Suyid, with his hand hovering over her hand. They walked with their backs held straight, their heads held high.

Sebastian stared at the couple with disinterest. Though they walked with the ease of what betrothed couples were supposed to, Sebastian noticed Cecily’ tense jaw and the fact that Alfonso kept looking over at Cecily with his deep brown eyes as they took each step. Alfonso was infatuated with her, and that infatuation made Cecily hate him even more. Certainly not the happy couple his father wished to convey. He began to drink faster and gulped down his goblet of wine before they’d even reached the final step.

Edward stared as well with his downcast hazel eyes. No matter how much he said he was fine with the union, Edward knew he was lying to himself. It hurt to see how his father ignored his pleas to marry him to the Princess Sophie of Suyid, but instead betrothed his little sister to Sophie’s brother. Now, though, Princess Elinor Neuville of Nesolia stood beside him ready to say her vows to him within the month.

“Princess Cecily Smythe, Duchess of Havenspring, and her escort the Crown Prince Alfonso de la Porte of Suyid,” the announcer said as Cecily and Alfonso stepped from the final step onto the floor.

The guests began clapping, and the people followed Cecily and Alfonso as they made their way to the dance floor. Alfonso bowed to Cecily and Cecily curtsied to him before rising. She smiled tightly at him and turned to the chairs her parents sat in on the dais that overlooked the dance floor.

“Let the ball commence,” King William said while motioning to the musicians with the flick of his hands.

The musicians picked up their instruments and began to play music for the guests to dance to. Sebastian moved towards the dance floor and found a noble lady with icy blue eyes. They almost reminded Sebastian of his sister, but her eyes were more gunmetal blue.

The men lined up on one side, facing the females lined up opposite of them. The music began with a fast fanfare before moving into slower music. When the music moved into the next strain, the men took two steps towards the females before them before sliding back to their spots. As they took their spots back, the women walked forward, twirled, and reclaimed their own spots.

The men then held out their hand and with their partners twirled in their spots.

“You are Sebastian Smythe,” his partner said.

“As anyone with two eyes can tell,” Sebastian said. “Who are you?”

His partner with the blue eyes smiled vindictively. Something told Sebastian this woman was everything a Smythe was without the last name to go with it. “Anaïs Lovell. My father is a member of Avarencia’s counsel.”

“And you have family ties with Tiavor,” Sebastian said. Anaïs and he moved in a circle with their bodies lined up at the shoulders, facing opposite one another. He looked away from her. “How lovely to meet you.”

“Not as lovely as you would expect,” Anaïs said. The stopped turning with the others and faced one another again. She brought her hand up. Her body close to Sebastian’s, she smirked. “It’s not as if you enjoy my company.”

“No, I suppose I do not,” he said. He felt himself falling off-step. This never happened to him though; how was this one woman doing this?

“You should meet my brother,” Anaïs said. “Well, as much of a brother as one can be. My family took him in when he was eight.”

“And why would I need to meet your brother?” Sebastian asked.

“Well, for one, he is just like you.” Anaïs grasped Sebastian’s hand and followed as he stepped back before stepping in close. As they got close, they raised their arms just above their heads before arcing their arms back down when they repeated the move. “He enjoys male company and would be quick to tell you exactly what you think of him.”

“I already have one of those people before me,” Sebastian said. “And I don’t need someone finding me men to sleep with at night. I’m perfectly capable of finding them myself.”

Laughing, Anaïs nodded. “Well, just let me know if I could introduce you. I’m sure you would get along.”

“And how would your brother feel about you finding him a bed partner?”

“Well, to be honest, he just needs someone,” Anaïs said. “As much as he’s been through, he needs another body for a night. Unfortunately for all of us, he refuses most men.”

“So this is more about you attempting to ease your own comfort,” Sebastian said. “I see.”

Sebastian stepped back and bent his legs, following the dance moves. Anaïs twirled back to her spot. The men moved two steps forward before sliding back to their spot and straightened themselves as the song ended. The men then began to lead the women off the dance floor.

“My family is just over here,” Anaïs said. She began to walk in the direction. It was then that Sebastian noticed just how dark her hair was and how high quality her violet dress was made of. It had to have been imported from Tiavor.

“You’re closer to your family in Tiavor than most think,” Sebastian said. “How are things there? I heard about the rebellion worsening. They say it may spread to Avarencia.”

“My family there survives, Your Royal Highness, but only as one can in such war-like situations,” Anaïs said. She stopped in front of an older gentleman and woman with two younger men standing next to them. “In times like these, it is important to remember the good. Your Royal Highness, I would like you to meet my brothers Marcel and Kurt. My mother, Marta, and my father, Benoit.”

“It is an honor to meet you, Your Royal Highness,” Marta said. She curtsied while the men bowed to him.

Sebastian spotted the one who wasn’t from that family: Kurt, he thought Anaïs had called him. Though his eyes looked much like Marcel and Anaïs, something about them were different. Sebastian couldn’t decide whether his eyes were gray or blue. Maybe a mix of the two? They were different; it was difficult to describe. That wasn’t the only difference. Kurt’s facial structure differed completely from the Lovell’s soft, round facial structures. Kurt’s facial structure was soft, but there were some hardened edges to it compared to the Lovell’s. Where the Lovells had sleek noses, Sebastian noticed that Kurt’s was very prominent on his face. Somehow it worked for his facial structure.

“Likewise,” Sebastian said. “It is lovely that you were able to make it. My sister surely thanks you for appearing today.”

“Your sister is truly lucky to have such a luxurious ball thrown for her. Imagine if any of the townspeople saw it. They might be filled with envy,” Kurt said.

“Pardon my brother,” Marcel said as he jammed a foot into Kurt’s shin. “He likes to think of what others would think about issues. He is a peoples’ person.”

“It’s fine,” Sebastian replied. He stared at Kurt. “Tell me, Kurt, how should we take the likes of my sister’s birthday?”

“Perhaps with a charity for your townspeople. You know that since your father has been king that plague has gone up in certain towns and many more people find it difficult to find jobs,” Kurt said.

“My father has no control over plagues breaking out. He can only send the best qualified to help digest the situation, and as for job loss, my father can only help those merchants qualified to sell within our walls.”

“Then perhaps he should be more open to allowing lesser known merchants sell within these walls. Imagine how beneficial it would be for the kingdom if that were so,” Kurt said.

Rolling his eyes, Sebastian said, “Mr. Lovell, I am not here to speak politics during my sister’s ball. If you have concerns, perhaps you should share them with my father instead of me.” He looked out the corner of his eye, spied a nearby guest sipping a drink and reached over to take it from them. Drinking a gulp, he let out a breath and said, “If you’ll excuse me, I need some fresh air.”

He could feel his mother watching him when he walked across the room—she was always worried about what Father would do to him as if he couldn’t take what his father dished out—and out of the ball room. He entered the courtyard that was mostly empty save for a few people milling about. He took another gulp from the stolen goblet and stared out across the courtyard.

Sebastian detested when things like that conversation happened. If anyone knew his father was destroying Avarencia it was he and his siblings. To be told by someone else that their father was ruining their life just added to that truth. Didn’t mean it hurt any less; it was like when someone else pointed out a flaw that you didn’t want to see but you knew it was there.

Sighing, Sebastian leaned against a post and closed his eyes.

“I am sorry about earlier,” a high-pitched voice said from behind him.

Sebastian turned to see Kurt standing there with his hands crossed behind his back. He kept kicking a foot back and forth as he stared at Sebastian.

“For what? Pointing out the truth?” Sebastian asked.

“Yes. I can be abrasive when it comes to political issues,” Kurt said. “I shouldn’t have said those things about His Majesty; moreover, I should not have told you my issues. It is not as if you can do much to help the situation.”

“No, I suppose I can’t.” Sebastian smirked and gulped more alcohol down. “Tell me, Mr. Lovell—”

“Actually, it’s Mr. Hummel,” Kurt said. “The Lovells merely adopted me after my mother died.”

“Tell me, Mr. Hummel,” Sebastian stepped closer to Kurt. He looked down at him and raised an eyebrow. “Are you always so open about issues as you were with me?”

“N—no,” Kurt stuttered. He shook his head, straightened his shoulders, and said, “No. I usually hold my tongue much better.”

“Sounds… sexy,” Sebastian said. He began to lean his head down. When they were a breath apart, Sebastian asked, “Is this okay?”

“Definitely,” Kurt said. He pushed up on his toes and kissed Sebastian. As Kurt wrapped arms around Sebastian’s neck, Sebastian let himself fall into the kiss. It wasn’t an earth-shattering kiss, but it was enough to take Sebastian’s mind off of their world for the moment. The drama involving his family, the other nobles, and life in general bled away until all that was left was the kiss between them.

When they pulled away for air, Sebastian took Kurt’s hand and began to lead him the way towards his room without much thought of what was happening back at the party.


	4. Tobyn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone can forgive me for not updating this on time. I've been busy with school and I just now found time to get this up.
> 
> Thanks again for reading!

_“Maybe this world is another person’s Hell.” – Aldous Huxley_

 

Cecily smiled at her dance partner and curtsied at the end of the dance. It had been a while since she had last seen Sebastian, and Cecily only hoped Father didn't notice. As she moved to return to her betrothed (she dreaded the day they would marry. They were total opposites in Cecily’s eyes), a man approached her with his right hand in a fist over his heart. He bowed.

"Your Grace," he said, "it would be a great honor to join you in a dance."

Cecily took a moment to notice the man. With dark unruly hair, dark green eyes, and a dark outfit, Cecily determined quickly that she'd never met this noble before. His entire ensemble was odd to Cecily; if it weren’t for the breeches that he wore, this man’s doublet’s shoulders were styled in a way that the chemise didn’t show through. Perhaps he hailed from a different kingdom. Cecily didn’t know where these fashions would come from, but she let the little inkling in her mind fade away.

"I would be most honored, my lord." She took his offered arm and let him lead her to the dance floor. They turned opposite one another and began to move in sync once the music started up again.

"Have we met before, my lord? I don't believe I've had the pleasure of meeting your acquaintance," Cecily said. She spun with the other women and met the noble once more as they moved to stand side-by-side.

"No, I suppose not. My name is Tobyn, Your Grace. I'm merely visiting this kingdom. I hail from Überain."

They moved to stand in the spot they started in and Cecily grasped his rough hand–a trait so unfamiliar among most nobles–and stepped close, their clasped hands reaching above their heads before they stepped back to repeat the dance move. 

"The eastern kingdom, that is so far away. Have you visited for counsel with the king?" Cecily asked.

"No, Your Grace. I came to meet you. Though it seems you are already spoken for." He nodded to Alfonso standing with his hands crossed.

"Alfonso is my betrothed, but I am allowed to entertain guests," Cecily said. "Any betrothed must understand that I can be friendly."

"I see," Tobyn replied. After a moment he grasped Cecily at the waist and lifted her in the air and twirled her around before setting her back down. "You are terribly sweet, Your Grace."

"You sound displeased at this."

"I am most sorry for this, Princess." Tobyn said. He stared at his feet and stopped dancing.

"Sorry for what?" Cecily asked. She cocked her head to the side and her eyebrows drawn together. A second ticked by and she began to feel dread filling her stomach.

"For this," he said. As if in slow motion, Tobyn reached out and grasped her forearm. He twirled her around and jerked her against his front. Cecily gasped as something cold was pressed against her exposed neck.

"Father!" Cecily's wide eyes flew to her father standing from his throne. From the corner of her eye, she could see cloaked men attacking the guards and several partygoers with hidden blades. Partygoers began to fall one after another, and the guards had already fallen. She looked around and hoped she didn’t see Edward falling to the ground as well.

What was happening?

That was silly, a part of her thought. She knew perfectly well what was happening.

Tobyn began to jerk Cecily towards the stairs she'd walked down just hours earlier. As he began to pull her up the stairs, Cecily pulled herself together and asked, "Why are you doing this?"

"Unfortunately for you, Princess, the rebellion has just reached your home." Tobyn let the blade drop from her neck as he pulled her up the steps. When they reached the top, he added, "I am sorry this has to happen to you."

"Then let me go! You do not need to do this, Tobyn," Cecily tried to jerk her hands from his grasp. "Please, you will regret this decision. Let me go and you can return to your life."

"My life ended the day my love—" Tobyn stopped and closed his eyes. "Let's go, Princess."

Tobyn dragged Cecily out of the castle and into the courtyard. The guards for this area must have been knocked out long ago; none stood where they were supposed to and as they walked by one Cecily felt chills down her spine at the dead look in the man’s still-open eyes. Tobyn led her to a cart with bars covering the entirety. A cage.

Thrown inside, Cecily faced a drunken jailer and another girl with a pregnant belly lounging at the end of the cage. She reminded Cecily of one of the princesses from the other kingdoms, but the girl’s hair was so matted and her face so dirty that Cecily couldn’t tell for sure.

She pushed her anxiety away (she felt herself beginning to hyperventilate; no, Cecily, don’t do this now, she told herself. She needed to get out of here) and moved to look out of the bars.

Loud yells erupted in the courtyard and Cecily watched Edward emerge with some of the knights. They began to swing swords at the rebels who were around, but before long only Tobyn and Edward stood against one another.

"Please, stop!" Cecily breathed heavily. Her heart beat so fast she worried it might stop at any moment. "Leave my brother alone! I'll do whatever you wish. Please!"

"Do not speak like this, Cecily! They mean to kidnap you!" Edward swung his sword only to have Tobyn meet his blow. They parried back and forth several more times before Edward missed a step and fell to the ground. Tobyn leveled his sword against Edward's shoulder. Cecily felt another chill down her spine and her breath leave her body as she watched the man she’d just danced with earlier turn into a cold killer. Any moment, and he would kill her eldest brother.

"Please, Tobyn! Be the man I know you are," Cecily felt tears beginning to run. "Do not do this. Take me as you are, but do not kill him. Please, think for a moment. Take me, and you have the possibility of ransom. Kill him and you will have war."

Tobyn dropped his sword but bent over Edward to murmur something Cecily couldn't make out. He returned to the cage and jumped into the driver's seat. The cart moved away and Cecily watched as her brother got smaller and smaller.

She turned from the bars and slumped against them. Tears streamed down her face. She couldn’t breathe, she couldn’t see. All she felt was the harsh truth of what had happened.

 

%MCEPASTEBIN%


	5. Lost

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo sorry for taking so long with this update but school's getting quite hectic right now!

_“Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live.” – Norman Cousins_

 

Lounging against the plush pillows behind his head, Sebastian watched Kurt slip into his clothes from the night before.

“Last night was fun,” Sebastian said nonchalantly. Usually he just kicked his late night guests out without so much as a bat of an eyelash. Now, though, he just couldn’t do that.

Sebastian told himself it was because he just knew the man before him would tell him exactly what he thought of him. Kurt was the type of person to say whatever he thought, especially to the likes of Sebastian.

“We could…” Shuffling his feet as he finished getting dressed, Kurt said after a moment, “We could do this again.”

“You sound as if you aren’t comfortable with that,” Sebastian replied.

“No! No, it’s not that—”

“You just normally don’t sleep with men you just met the night before. I get it.” Sebastian pushed himself up and let the bed sheets fall from his chest. He smirked at Kurt’s shifting eyes to and from his torso and stood to his feet. He stretched his arms above his head before beginning to get dressed.

“I don’t typically do this type of thing, no,” Kurt said. “But I would be lying if I said I never wanted to see you again, Your Royal Highness.”

“I thought after how many times you said my name that you’d dropped the formalities with me,” Sebastian said as he pulled on his boots. “But, I would be lying if I said I never wanted to see you again either, if for nothing more than to see my father even more pissed off.”

“Your father doesn’t accept you?” Kurt asked.

“Not so much unaccepting as he wishes he could still marry me off to a princess. It pisses him off that most of the kings in the other kingdoms would rather die than marry their daughter to a man who would not share her bed.”

“Makes sense, I guess,” Kurt said. He walked across the room and stopped in front of the door. “Good day, Your Royal Highness.”

“And you too, Mr. Hummel.”

As Kurt walked out, Jasper of Brownshill shoved his way inside. His eyes were wide as he took in Sebastian’s appearance.

“Uncle, why aren’t you at the meeting?”

“What meeting?”

Jasper gasped for breath and replied, “The meeting Father is heading now. About Aunt Cecily.”

Sebastian shook his head, his eyebrows drawn together. “What about Cecily? She just had her party last night. She’s probably still sleeping.”

Jasper’s eyes widened even more if that were possible. He dropped his hands to his side and rocked back and forth while gnawing at his bottom lip.

“What is wrong, Jasper?” Sebastian asked.

“It seems I should have sent one of the quiet servants. I should not be the one to tell you this,” he said. Sebastian could see Jasper beginning to grow irritated; at himself or at something else, Sebastian wasn’t sure.

“Jasper,” Sebastian asked with his jaw taut and his eyebrows drawn together, “what has happened to Cecily?”

“Rebels,” Jasper said after a moment more of rocking back and forth. “I’m so sorry, Uncle! I did not know you didn’t know, or I would not have been the one to tell you—”

“What happened to Cecily?” Sebastian asked.

Gulping, Jasper ran a hand through his dirty blonde locks. “Last night, during her ball, one of the guests who was a dance partner revealed himself to be a rebel in disguise. Other rebels got past the guards in the courtyard and several guards and partygoers inside the ballroom. They took her.”

“They took her?” Sebastian’s voice barely broke; he could hardly hear himself speak, though that could have been from the rush of blood he heard in his ears. “They took her?” he yelled.

Sebastian stepped close to Jasper.

“Where were you when this happened? You’re our most trusted knight! You’re meant to protect us; how could you let this happen—” He began to breath heavily as he tried to even his breaths. He felt his eyes growing heavy, his body feeling as if a thousand medic needles were poking him. Sebastian stumbled back to the chest at the end of his bed and fell upon it.

“I was there, Uncle. I tried to get to her, but it was too late. By the time I realized, the man had already fought Father and told him to stay away or she wouldn’t return. It was a game of pure luck that they got past me, Uncle.” Jasper closed his eyes and rubbed his fingers across his eyelids as if to alleviate some pain. “I should not have let myself enjoy too much of the party; as you said, I am the family’s most trusted knight and yet I failed you… I failed.”

“Where’s Edward?” Sebastian asked in a weary voice.

“In one of the meeting halls with several knights. He’s gathering information on where the rebel camp might be stationed to attack and rescue Aunt Cecily,” Jasper said.

Standing, Sebastian walked past Jasper and to the door. As Jasper hurried to keep up with him, Sebastian said with as little emotion as possible, “I want you to figure out how these rebels breeched our security last night, and I want names of every soldier who failed to protect one of the royal family.”

“I will get it to you,” Jasper said.

“I want it as soon as possible,” Sebastian continued. “We will get my sister back alive and then those who let their guards down will pay dearly for their disservice.”

Jasper hurried down the hallway and down the stairs to gather the names Sebastian wanted. Sebastian turned down the hallway that he heard Edward’s loud voice coming from and entered the room to hear the end of what Edward said.

“We will strike down these rebels and we will see the end to this disease. I want this kingdom peaceful again, and I want there to be no rebellion in the midst. Is that clear?” Edward looked at all the men.

“Why was I not told of this meeting, Brother?” Sebastian asked.

“Because you were too busy last night to even be available when Cecily was kidnapped, Sebastian.” Edward turned around. Sebastian could see the stress this put on Edward. It was putting stress on him too, though. “Obviously you aren’t ready for something like war.”

“My sister got kidnapped and you want me to step aside?” Sebastian scoffed. “I’d rather stab my eyes with a fork than stand aside as you go off to save her. I am in this too.”

“Get out, Sebastian. You’re not in this conversation,” he said. Edward motioned for the guards standing outside and they stepped in.

Sebastian eyed the guards as they moved to pull him from the room. He scoffed. “I got the message, thanks,” Sebastian said. He turned on his heels and stepped out of the room. He clenched his hands into fists and bit his lip as he tried to keep himself from crying outright.

“Are you alright, Your Royal Highness?” one guard asked.

“Leave me be,” he replied. He moved down the hallway after that. His heart hammered against his chest; he had to go with Edward. He couldn’t just stand by as if this wasn’t affecting him.

He would help get her back, if it was the last thing he did.

Sebastian turned to the hallway his sister’s bedroom was located in when someone stepped in front of him.

“Lovely night last night?” Anaïs asked. “Kurt never came back until late this morning.”

“Not now, my lady,” Sebastian said, slipping into his formalities. “There has been an unfortunate—”

“I know about your sister, and I am sorry for your loss, Your Royal Highness.” Anaïs bowed her head. “In times like these, I like to think distracting oneself is a good way to keep from the truth of matters.”

“I can’t be distracted right now,” Sebastian said. “I should be in that room with my brother plotting to take those rebels and save Cecily. I need to help—”

“You need to clear your mind,” Anaïs said. “Shall I find Kurt for you?”

“Anaïs, I can’t be distracted,” Sebastian replied.

“My dear prince, everyone is allowed a distraction every once in a while.” Turning, Anaïs held a smile and walked away as if she had a secret that only those privileged could know about.

Shaking his head, Sebastian continued moving down the hallway until he entered Cecily’s room. Though the light shined through into the space, the room itself felt cool, untouched. The servants had made the bed yesterday and just looking at how immaculate it looked made Sebastian tear up.

“Oh, Cecily,” he said. He walked to the bed in the room and ran his hand over the sheets. He closed his eyes and remembered his sister. All the good and the bad times.

Sebastian moved onto the bed until he was situated right in the middle of the bed. He could faintly smell his sister through the pillows and he couldn’t help but let a small tear fall.

How could he have been so blind? He’d been so blind in his own needs that he’d ignored his sister on her big night. And now he may never see her again.

Sebastian curled into a tighter ball and felt like a kid again when he’d walked in on his parents fighting and realized that their privileged life wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. He let the world disappear for a while and let his thoughts swirl over Cecily and how he should have been there last night.


	6. Raoul

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am officially halfway done with writing this story! I promise that once I finish all the chapters and get them edited by my awesome beta Lari that I will do a massive post and post the entire story :) thanks for hanging in there in the meantime!

_“Power resides where men believe it resides; it's a trick, a shadow on the wall, and a very small man can cast a very large shadow." -- Varys_ , Game of Thrones

 

Tents scattered across the forest floor; how no one had caught sight of their camp was beyond Cecily’s mind. They sat within feet of one another and she saw thousands of men, women, and children walking about. Some had on armor, but most seemed to be in comfortable clothing from their respective places.

Cecily felt tears budding. She blinked and turned her eyes back to Tobyn who was walking a little ways away.

“How can this be happening?” she asked herself.

“I asked that myself when I was first captured,” the lady beside her said. During the ride, Cecily had learned that her name was in fact Princess Lucretia Talbot from the kingdom to the East, Überain. When she’d learned that, Cecily remembered faintly that her mother had told her about a princess from Überain being abducted by rebels.

Cecily glanced first at the chains that bound her hands in front of her body. The dark chains chafed against her skin and Cecily was sure if they ever came off there would be dried blood from them. It constantly pulled and pushed her skin as they walked and she’d felt warm liquid drip onto the palms of her hands earlier.

She turned back to the princess who under the light of a new day showed just how pregnant she was. Cecily wasn’t an expert (only the midwifes were after all), but she had a feeling Lucretia would be going into labor soon.

“Were you pregnant when they kidnapped you?” Cecily asked.

Lucretia’s eyes widened. Her chin stuttered back and forth as she fought to speak before she shook her head.

Cecily took a step away. Wind cut into her skin—the beautiful dress she’d worn for the ball now looked ruined with tatters already forming—and she felt like any moment she would collapse from the truth. Lucretia had been with these… heathens long enough to wind up pregnant.

There was only one way that could have happened.

“Who did this to you?” Cecily asked.

Lucretia’s head bent and she shook it; Cecily wouldn’t be getting anything out of her now.

Swallowing, Cecily returned to the spot she’d been in before and began to walk again. She looked at Tobyn who now stared back at her.

She felt her skin tingling and her ears burning with anger. She would not end up like Princess Lucretia Talbot. No, Cecily had to get home.

“How could you do this to me?” Cecily asked. Tobyn turned back forward. “You coward! I am a princess, and you will answer me! Why me?”

“Time to enter your new home, _Princess_ ,” one of the guards nearby said. They gathered Cecily by the tops of her arms and squeezed—she was sure there’d be bruises there later—and threw her inside of a cage. It was made from barbed material and the cage sat big enough for people to stand up in and walk a few feet maybe.

Cecily collapsed on the cold ground and began sobbing. She pulled her knees in tight and wished for Edward or Sebastian. She was supposed to be celebrating with her family now. Any respite from this hell was welcome, and in this moment Cecily found herself thinking of the one man she had told herself she would never think of.

Alfonso de la Poste.

Her betrothed from Suyid that Cecily hated with every fiber of her being. It wasn’t that he was a bad match, far from it in fact. It was just that before Cecily had always found herself in a tangle because Alfonso was one of the nicest men she knew besides her brothers (who were really only nice to her) and the fact that his sister was the woman Edward had loved since he was seven.

Cecily knew Edward looked upon their union with sadness and she felt like it was partially her fault that Edward had to live in this constant state of sadness; however, she knew it wasn’t her fault. Her father had been the one to agree to the match, after all.

Now, though, Cecily would give anything to see Alfonso again. She would marry him without complaint if it meant not being here.

Cecily felt someone pick her up more gently than before and she looked to see Tobyn’s dark hair as he moved her over to one of the two posts in the cage. He took her hands and cuffed them to a chain that led to the post and ushered in Princess Lucretia.

Cecily wiped her face and pulled her hands back. She saw the remains of dried blood caked around the chains.

As Lucretia settled onto the ground and was locked in herself, a guard walked to the entrance of the gate and said, “Raoul has requested the Smythe girl’s presence.”

Tobyn looked at Lucretia for a moment. He turned back to Cecily and unhooked her chains; Cecily swore she saw regret filling those green eyes.

She moved across camp and to the largest one at the end of a road. Before she was allowed in, Tobyn turned her to him.

“Why?” Cecily asked. “What did I ever do to you?”

“That’s not for me to decide,” Tobyn said. “I’m merely following orders.”

“If your so-called leader told you to jump from a cliff for a cause, would you?” Cecily asked. “You can get me out of here, and I know my father would pardon you. In fact, you’d get countless jewels for your courageous help in rescuing me.”

“Nice try,” Tobyn said. He pulled at the cuffs and got them off her wrists. He stared at her bloodstained wrists before shoving her towards the tent.

She entered the tent and looked around. There were several areas that looked like beds lounging around in the tent and directly in front of her was a desk filled with maps and other papers. Behind it sat a man with his fingers steeped in front of his mouth as he stared at the maps.

“Well, it seems Tobyn surpassed even my own expectations,” the man said. He pushed himself from the desk and stood. He was a fairly attractive man, one she hadn’t seen this Raoul looking like, and Cecily found herself blushing against all that she fought. This man had ordered her to be kidnapped; now was not the time to develop some symptom that made her join their cause.

His dark hair was cut close to his head and his bright blue eyes locked onto Cecily. He watched her every move as she stood there.

After the initial thoughts wore off, Cecily found herself itching to be from this man’s presence. The way he watched her made her skin crawl. It was as if he was a predator and she was the prey. At this point, Cecily would rather be dead than standing here.

“Princess Cecily Smythe, of the kingdom Avarencia. How are you?” he asked. He stood a mere foot from her. Cecily shivered when he began to run a finger up and down her arm. She wished she had the strength to push the hand away.

“A little cold, and I want to go home,” she replied. Finally she pushed his arm away. “Why am I here?”

“For leverage, of course.” Raoul smirked. He leaned forward and smelled around Cecily’s face. She wrinkled her nose. This man, for all the attraction he held, was a monster. She wished to see his head on a spike for the way he was treating her.

“Leverage?”

Ignoring her, he stood back up. “See, this war began as an outcry against the False King’s usurpation of Prince Kurt’s true place. Those of us in Tiavor were brought together by a common cause.”

“What does that have to do with me?” Cecily asked.

“Because you are not the true heirs of your own throne. No current royal is! This world has been led astray by the likes of false kings and pretenders to thrones all around. You want all the power for yourselves and you won’t even stop to help your own people.”

“I help my people in every way I can. I visit them as often—”

“Oh, Cecily, Cecily, Cecily.” Raoul clicked his tongue. “As pretty as you are, you are not to blame for this. You are, after all, merely a pawn.”

“Excuse me?”

Raoul leaned down. Breathing next to her ear, he whispered, “Pawn.” He cackled and stood back. “You speak as if you are Aelia Smythe herself and yet you are weak. Your entire line depends on her bloodline and yet your whole family couldn’t protect you. How weak.”

Cecily caught sight of a sword at Raoul’s side and knew how to get out of here. She hoped those countless hours with Edward and Sebastian had paid off.

“I am not weak, and you would be most unwise to believe I cannot defend myself.”

Raoul smirked. “You are stuck here, no?”

“Am I?” Cecily stuck her arm out, grasped the hilt of the sword at Raoul’s side and swung at his head, narrowly missing his throat.

She moved to stand sideways and waited for Raoul to make a move. When he didn’t, she swung again at his midsection. She continued to move, pushing him towards the desk he’d sat at earlier.

Raoul began chuckling as he kept narrowly escaping her blows. Cecily knew he couldn’t know what she was doing.

“You see, you forgot one thing,” Cecily said. “My family has long held the belief that princesses should protect themselves. From a young age, my brothers taught me how to protect myself with the weapons available. Big mistake on your part.” Cecily swung again and watched him stumble back onto the desk. She moved and pushed her hand on his chest, sword at his throat. “Now, take me home. Take me home or I will remove your head and be sure to show all your followers just how weak their leader is.”

Instead of looking frightened, however, Raoul smirked. The flaps of the tent moved and suddenly Cecily found her arms yanked behind her back. The sword clattered to the floor.

“Let me go!” she stomped her feet and swung them back. She hoped to nail them in a place that would surely hurt.

“Relax, Princess,” Tobyn said. “You’re done here.”

“Let me go!” she yelled. She saw the sword that she’d grabbed from Raoul’s side on the floor and kicked the hilt towards Raoul like she would a ball. She hoped it’d stick into his leg, but it stopped a few feet later. She cursed under her breath.

Tobyn dragged her out of the tent and began to pull her towards another tent. When she was in the other tent, he turned.

“Why are you doing this?” Cecily asked.

“You are officially under my custody now, Princess, so I would suggest you show me a bit of respect,” he said.

“Why? Or you’ll throw me to Raoul and see just how messed up he can make me? Trust me, he all but tried to force himself on me in his tent,” Cecily said. “I will have my revenge.”

“You failed your own personal test back there, Princess. You had checkmate and you played it far too soon.” Tobyn leaned in. For some reason, Cecily didn’t feel as threatened as she did in Raoul’s presence. “Next time, don’t let the bad guys know just what you can do until you know you can escape.”

Leaning forward herself, Cecily said, “You’d better hope my brothers never find me because I swear the moment they do I will take their sword and show you and Raoul just how much of a Smythe I really am.”

 


	7. Sex

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the chapter I'm sure most have been waiting for! Hope you all enjoy :) I'm hoping to get the rest of the story written out by this coming week so look for the entire story one of these coming weeks!
> 
> Also, a scene in here is VERY MUCH inspired by a scene in the television show _The White Queen_. Here's a link to a video that includes it: [[LINK]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLLnVW6ML5w). It's very quick, but you'll be able to see it (around 0:40).  
>  Enjoy!

“ _Everything_ _in the world is about sex except sex. Sex is about power._ ” – _Oscar Wilde_

 

Sebastian led Kurt around the gardens. He spotted his father’s spies hanging around different plants and gazebos. Sebastian mentally groaned; his father would know about him speaking to Kurt by the time the day had set. He looked at Kurt who was staring at the different plants with a forlorn look on his face and led Kurt beyond trees that covered an abandoned tower and continued walking with Kurt.

He didn’t need Father’s spies hearing him speak.

“I don’t normally do this kind of thing,” Sebastian said. He turned to Kurt. “But you’re the only one I feel I can truly talk to. The others merely give me looks of pity or anger. As if I could have singlehandedly stopped my sister from being kidnapped.”

“I’m sorry you feel that way.” Kurt looked at the ground, grabbed Sebastian’s hand, and squeezed. “It’s not your fault.” His voice sounded almost pained; Sebastian wondered why that was so but decided not to ask.

Sebastian squeezed Kurt’s hand and nodded.

“I know. I just can’t help but feel as if I could have done something,” he said. “Anything. I mean, we had been in that courtyard mere hours before and there had been no signs of the rebellion there. How could that have happened so quickly?”

“Surely you didn’t call me here to talk about hypotheses.” Kurt stopped beyond a large oak tree and pulled Sebastian to him, all signs of forlorn masked by a look of determination. He motioned to the fallen tower—essentially a bunch of grey bricks lying on top of one another with vines interwoven—and asked, “See that tower?”

“What of it?”

“How did it come down?”

Sebastian sighed. “Weather? The gods? No one knows. It’s been that way. I obviously had to bed a crazy person.”

Kurt rolled his eyes and turned Sebastian towards him. “Are you blamed for that tower falling? No. Then do not blame yourself for your sister’s kidnapping. You could not have solved anything there.”

“How do you know?”

Kurt grimaced and looked at his feet for a moment before looking back up. His eyes seemed to shift to a grey as he spoke. “Honestly, I don’t. No one could know the outcome of that scenario. Only the gods could ever know, and they decided that you and I would meet and spend the night together. I’m sorry if you see that as your pitfall, but I don’t regret that night.”

Sebastian stepped close to Kurt and let him slide against the bark of the tree. He let a hand run across Kurt’s cheek. “I don’t regret my time with you, Kurt. I never could.” He leaned forward and pressed a chaste kiss to Kurt’s lips.

Kurt pushed forward, his hands grasping Sebastian’s shoulders as he moved his lips against Sebastian’s. He let a slight groan escape as Sebastian began to tug lightly on his bottom lip.

Sebastian then pulled away. He held out his hand for Kurt to grasp and walked back towards the castle. He led the way back to his room on the fourth floor. After Kurt made it inside and shut the door, Sebastian had him backed against the door.

Kurt leaned his head back as Sebastian sucked and nibbled his way down the side of Kurt’s neck. He gasped and tugged Sebastian closer to him. Sebastian’s erection brushed against his own, eliciting a loud moan.

Sebastian pulled his head away from Kurt’s neck and stared in his eyes for a moment before moving to the strings holding Kurt’s clothes together. He pulled until Kurt stood there with his chemise hanging off his body and leather pants.

His finger itched to pull the chemise off and get on with it, but instead Sebastian stood there taking in the moment. He stared yet again at Kurt’s flushed face. He felt his own face heating up and knew he was flushed as well.

“What?” Kurt asked.

“Nothing,” Sebastian replied. He pulled the bottom of Kurt’s chemise up and over his head. He then worked on pulling Kurt’s incredibly tight pants off.

He scrunched his face and felt irritation blooming as he couldn’t get Kurt’s pants off.

“Really? They’re like a supernatural force stuck to your dick,” Sebastian said.

Kurt giggled. He relaxed and pushed his pants down. Sebastian wasn’t sure how, but within a minute Kurt had them off and on the ground.

“Really?” Sebastian asked.

“What?” Kurt stepped out of them and wrapped his arms around Sebastian’s neck. He bit his lip and looked up at Sebastian through his lashes.

“Nothing,” Sebastian said. His hands roamed down to Kurt’s hip and pulled him up. Kurt immediately wrapped his legs around Sebastian’s waist. Sebastian stepped towards his bed and let himself fall down. With a huff, pillows and bed sheets surrounded Sebastian. Kurt smiled and leaned down. His nose brushed against Sebastian’s as he tilted his head. He took Sebastian’s upper lip between his and nibbled.

Sebastian felt a shot of pleasure run through his body and clutched Kurt’s hips in response. His hips jerked against Kurt and he opened his mouth to run his tongue along Kurt’s lower lip.

Chuckling, Kurt bucked his hips in return.

Sebastian groaned, his hands bunching up against Kurt’s hair. The locks ran against his fingers, tickling the pads of his digits as he tugged against the head. Kurt pulled away to look in Sebastian’s eyes. His blue-grey eyes were completely dilated, much like Sebastian suggested his own to be.

“I want you,” Sebastian said. He brushed his nose against Kurt’s. Flames licked his skin, and Sebastian was sure that if they stopped now he would forever be pulled into those flames.

“Your wish is my command,” Kurt replied with a smile. He pulled at Sebastian’s clothes and with Sebastian’s help Sebastian soon lied there unclothed. Kurt leaned down and peppered kisses along Sebastian’s chest. As he tweaked one nipple, he reached a hand over to the bedside table to reach the bowl with oil on it. He dipped his hand in it and let it wander down beyond Sebastian’s erection to his entrance. His finger traced Sebastian’s entrance before a lubed finger slipped inside.

Sebastian moaned, his head digging into the pillows below his head.

Kurt moved the digit in and out slowly. He added another digit when he noticed Sebastian didn’t have any hint of being uncomfortable on his face. He watched Sebastian’s face the entire time.

“Okay?” Kurt asked.

“I’ve taken before,” Sebastian said. “I’m not a virgin.”

“Of course not,” Kurt replied. He began stretching his fingers.

“So,” Sebastian’s voice hitched. He trailed off and let out another moan, “don’t treat me like I’m breakable. I said I wanted you, not your fingers.”

“You still need to be stretched.”

Kurt continued stretching while his other hand worked on keeping Sebastian occupied.

Three fingers inside, and Sebastian couldn’t think straight anymore. His head pushed into the pillows beneath him as if trying to escape the surmounting pleasure and his hands fisted in the sheets. He moaned loudly and pushed his hips towards Kurt’s hand, hoping to get more.

“Please,” Sebastian grunted.

Kurt smirked and pulled his fingers out. He took the bowl of oil and began lubing his erection.

Sebastian felt like he’d been deprived of his every treasure. His head still tossed back in the pillows, he grasped at Kurt’s hips in search of something more. He squeezed tightly; if he had the ability to think, he’d probably wonder if there would be bruises later. Instead he focused on his skin’s intense tingling and how every nerve stood on end. He needed something. Anything.

He needed Kurt.

“Kurt,” he moaned. He jerked at Kurt’s hips, hoping to speed things along.

“You’re awfully needy,” Kurt said in a raspy voice. Sebastian peeked at him and watched him. “Turn around.”

Sebastian soon found himself on his knees and in a mixture of both pain and pleasure as Kurt inched his way in. As much as Kurt had prepared, it still wasn’t enough, but Sebastian wouldn’t trade it for anything now. He arched his back into Kurt’s front and groaned at the way it made Kurt move.

“More,” he grunted. His arms reached around and tugged on Kurt’s hair once more.

However, Kurt continued his slow, inching pace. Sebastian groaned impatiently. He wanted more now. He grasped at Kurt’s hips and tried to shove him in faster, but Kurt merely grasped his hands and pulled them to his side.

Tsking against the shell of Sebastian’s ear, Kurt whispered, “Not yet, Your Royal Majesty.”

Kurt continued until he was fully seated inside Sebastian. As he sat there, Sebastian wondered how much more he could take. He felt… full. He clenched his eyes shut and pushed back.

“Move,” he moaned.

Kurt chuckled and pulled slowly out. “Like this?” he asked as he slowly slid back in.

Sebastian cried out and shoved back. “Faster,” he said.

“As Your Highness commands,” Kurt said. He pulled back out before shoving his hips back forward. Sebastian yelled in pleasure and arched his neck back. He smirked when Kurt began sucking at the juncture where his neck and shoulder met while moving his hips to and fro. He met every thrust with his own, and though he felt like his knees would give out any second, he knew soon he’d be free. He was so close to being gone, so close to escaping this need that kept eating at him. The need that only Kurt seemed to fulfill.

“Harder,” he gasped. Thrusting his hips back, Sebastian let instincts take over. His mouth gaped wide when Kurt found his prostate and continued hitting it.

“’m close,” he said, his voice barely making a sound from the gasps that kept escaping. His hands gripped Kurt’s hips and continued moving with Kurt.

Kurt reached around and grasped Sebastian’s erection. As his hips thrusted, his hand moved accordingly. Only a few more thrusts and Sebastian grunted, coming on Kurt’s hand and the sheets before him.

Sebastian crumbled. All the strength keeping him locked in the position escaped with his orgasm, and Sebastian let go. He faintly felt Kurt thrust a few more times before coming inside Sebastian. Done, Kurt pulled Sebastian away from the stains on the bed and next to his body. Involuntarily, Sebastian let Kurt wrap an arm around him and pull him close.

When Sebastian finally gained his wits, he gasped out a few laughs. He turned towards Kurt. “Well this is a first.”

“First for what?”

Sebastian smirked. “The first time I let a man almost feminine enough to be female fuck me into oblivion.” He let out a laugh. “This was fun.”

“I’m not a girl,” Kurt replied. “I proved that enough with just now.”

Snuggling close, Sebastian nibbled on his lip. “That you did, Mister Hummel.”

“I’ll go fetch a cloth to clean us up,” Kurt said. “You rest your eyes. You need it.”

Sebastian felt himself drift off, and soon enough all he saw was black. When he finally did open his eyes again, it was to the rustling of Kurt pulling on his clothes while muttering about something.

“You’re leaving already?” Sebastian asked. He stretched his arms above his head and realized Kurt must’ve cleaned up while he slept.

“Yeah,” Kurt said. He focused on lacing his pants together.

“Why are you leaving?” Sebastian asked. He rolled over and settled an elbow into the bed and perched his head on his hand. He watched Kurt finish with his pants and turn to lacing up the front of his dark doublet Kurt didn’t reply.

“Hello?” Sebastian asked. “Is the princess not going to answer me?”

“I need to leave,” Kurt said. “And I don’t appreciate being called a princess.”

“Why?” Sebastian asked. “You’re a feminine guy. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

“Because, Your Highness, I have been ridiculed for my feminine physique my entire life. I don’t need my lover or whatever this is between us to be the same way.” Kurt finished tying his doublet together. He tugged on his shoes that Sebastian didn’t even remember pulling off earlier back on and turned to the door. “Perhaps we will meet again soon.”

With that, Kurt left with Sebastian wondering what just happened.

He shook his head after a moment. That was just too much for him to handle after such a good sleep (and he hadn’t had one of those since before Cecily was kidnapped).

“Sebastian? Are you decent?” Edward’s voice echoed from beyond the closed door.

“Just a minute,” Sebastian replied. He picked up his chemise and began pulling his clothes on. As he laced his own pants together, he told Edward to walk in.

“We are to speak before Father,” Edward announced once he shut the door. He crossed his arms and stared distastefully at Sebastian’s rumpled bed sheets. “Really? Cecily gets kidnapped and you fuck your way into an early grave?”

“It’s called coping. Maybe if you pulled that stick out of your ass you might find yourself in the same boat,” Sebastian replied. He finished getting dressed and turned to Edward. An eyebrow raised, Sebastian said, “I don’t judge who you sleep with so don’t judge me.”

“It was that Hummel kid, wasn’t it? Don’t you find it the least bit odd that he shows up the night your sister is kidnapped and continues to draw your attention away from helping us find her?” Edward asked. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you’re being deceived.”

“Deceived? Please, Edward, it seems Kurt is the only one who doesn’t judge me for my actions that night. Ever since Cecily’s gone missing, everyone in this damn castle stares at me like I’m the one at fault. Like I had anything to do with Cecily’s kidnapping. Sorry I made the choice to fuck a man. If I’d been with a girl, would I get different looks?” Sebastian scoffed.

“That’s not true.”

“Of course it is!” Sebastian’s eyes widened. He stuck his arms out wide. “As if being gay in this environment wasn’t enough, you know what they’re saying of me! And if it wasn’t bad enough, the way you treated me the day after her disappearance cemented that for me. As if I was at fault.” Sebastian shook his head. “Is it my fault the sky was cloudy too?”

“I never meant to treat you that way, Sebastian,” Edward replied. His eyes shone how sorry he was. Tears threatened to fall. “I never meant for you to feel that way. I let my emotions power me that day when I should not and I should have included you in that conversation. If you would like, we have news on where a rebel camp is. I’m asking Father for counsel to see if he will give us the army we need to take it within the fortnight. Will you be by my side?”

“So now you want me there?” Sebastian asked. “Sure you won’t turn on me within the time it takes me to pull my sword to defend myself?”

“I need my brother by my side, Sebastian. We will save Cecily as a family. I don’t know what else you want from me,” Edward replied. He ran a hand through his brunette hair and drew his eyebrows together. “I never meant to blame you. You must know that. If you must know, though, the camp is set up near the edge of Tiavor. Some of the locals from Tiavor sent word that they’d seen campfires in the forests to the king. Tiavor sent men out, and they came back with information about this camp. It seems it holds a cage big enough for two, though only one lied inside then.”

“Cecily,” Sebastian said, his eyes widening at the thought of saving her so soon. She was alive. They still had a chance, and Sebastian could be that hero.

“It would seem those from Tiavor thought so. We have a chance to save her, and we should both be there,” Edward said. “Will you forgive me for my harmful words?”

After a moment, Sebastian nodded. “Let’s get to that counsel.”

They left Sebastian’s room and walked towards the stairs. Going down the four flights, the two then took off towards the throne room in silence. Sebastian took that time to let his thoughts mull over what happened with Kurt earlier. Besides the fact that Sebastian never slept with men more than once, during their time together something happened. Sebastian wasn’t sure what it was, but he knew he didn’t want it to end.

It was like an addiction that couldn’t be stopped.

They reached the throne room and walked inside after being announced.

“And what brings my children before me,” King William asked. He sat upon the throne with his hands steeped in front of him. The throne to his left sat empty.

“We wish to seek His Majesty’s blessing to gain armies and advance against those retched rebels who stole our sister from us,” Edward said. Sebastian could hear the hurt in his voice.

The king sat there for a moment just staring before he started laughing. He started laughing so hard that the guards positioned around the room looked alarmed.

“Your Majesty?” Edward asked. “Why is Your Majesty laughing?”

William continued laughing for a few minutes before finally calming down. When he could talk again, William said, “You are joking, right?”

“On the contrary, I have news from Tiavor that has told us that the camp is set up just outside their kingdom. They’re still in Avarencia’s territory, and if Your Majesty would allow it, Sebastian, Jasper, and I would lead the armies to the camp to rid our world of the rebellion once and for all. It would give us a chance to show the world we are strong, just like the Great Aelia Smythe once was.”

“I cannot allow this,” William said.

“Excuse me?” Edward narrowed his eyes. “Can’t allow this? Why not? They have your daughter!”

“And in sending you to them, I am risking my heir’s life. Both of them,” William said. He stood from his seat and moved to stand in front of Edward. “End of discussion.” William ignored all courtesies and began walking towards his personal office. Sebastian watched Edward as his hands clenched into fists and his jaw tightened.

“Do not anger him,” Sebastian said. “Keep your temper.”

“Oh, I’ll keep my temper alright,” Edward replied. He stormed after William with Sebastian trailing after him. They reached the solarium as William was beginning to sit at the end of a long, rectangle table meant for meetings.

“Father, we were not done,” Edward said.

“On the contrary, I denied your request. I was done,” William said.

“I request to know why. Do you wish to show the world how weak you are? You won’t even save your own daughter from captivity? Are you that depraved?” Edward asked.

“I am sorry that this has happened to Cecily but I will not risk you, Edward.” Sebastian stood a few feet from where Edward and Father stood quarreling. He bit his lip and looked away, willing tears away. Their sister. Their poor sister. Gods knew what those damned rebels were doing to her now.

“She is your daughter,” Edward said. He scoffed and shook his head. “You are a coward. How can you turn your back on one of your own? Cecily is the princess of Avarencia and a Smythe at that! You would let her die just to save me?”

“You are next in line, Edward. If you died, who would take the throne?”

Sebastian bit back a remark that he was right there. Of course Father wouldn’t want him on the throne. Gods forbid they allow someone like him on the throne.

“Sebastian would make an excellent king.”

“Sebastian has not been trained to be king. He would mess everything we’ve worked for up.”

Edward gritted his teeth. He said, “You are a terrible father and a terrible king at that! We go after Cecily or I will usurp your throne from where you stand.”

“If you go after Cecily, you prove to them we have a weakness, Edward! This is the only route to be taken and that is final.” Sebastian began to move forward, his hand reaching to calm Edward down.

Before he could reach his brother, however, Edward moved. He raised a hand and shoved their father onto the table near them. He reached for the knife on him and drew the blade upon Father’s throat. Drawing blood, he said in a dark voice, “We will go after Cecily and we will save her. My way. And when we return we will call a counsel meeting to speak about your actions.”

“Edward!” Sebastian turned to see Mother standing in the doorway, eyes wide as she stared at her son. “He is your father.”

“He’s never been my father,” Edward replied. “He’s only ever been my king. After Cecily returns, we’ll see what the counsel says…” He smirked, pushing the blade closer still and began to break skin. “Or I could kill you now. Save the counsel meeting.”

“Edward,” Sebastian said. He couldn’t breathe for fear of not moving in time to save this situation. “Think for a moment. If you kill him now, you will be an usurper. The gods will look down upon you and destroy your reign.”

“I don’t care! He doesn’t deserve to live when he does not even care for his children.” Sebastian watched Edward’s hand with the knife begin to shake before he finally shoved away from Father. “Suit up, Sebastian. We leave in the fortnight.”

“If you leave, I will give the throne to that bastard of yours,” Father said calmly as he rubbed his neck. “Then the people will really want to rebel.”

Edward turned, his hazel eyes blazing with a fury Sebastian hadn’t seen since he was told he would marry Princess Elinor of Nesolia. “Jasper is twice the man you ever were. From this day forward, you are dead to me. Your Majesty.” With that, Edward bowed mockingly and made his way from the room.

Sebastian stood, eyes wide. He wasn’t sure if he was supposed to follow Edward or not. All he knew was that this was bad. Really, really bad.

“Sebastian, you must talk sense to him. He will be killed by the rebels before he even reaches Cecily, if she’s not dead already.” Father walked over to Sebastian and placed his hands on his shoulders. Smiling, the king added, “He is your brother. He will listen to you.”

“You think I could never be king?” Sebastian said as he thought of what his father said earlier. “You truly think I wouldn’t be a good king?” He scoffed. “Talk to your son on your own. In the meantime, I’m going after my sister.”

He pushed away, bowed in the same manner as Edward had before, and walked out of the room.

“I’ll refuse the funds!” William yelled. “Your army will never leave the castle unless I give the okay!”

Sebastian ignored him as he walked with his head held high, his shoulders down, towards the armory. He spotted Edward and Mother talking in the room. Deciding now wasn’t the best time to interrupt, Sebastian instead headed out to the courtyard and spied Anaïs with a man who seemed to be a suitor, if the way he stared at her was any indication.

Turning for the stables, Sebastian ordered one of the stable boys to ready a horse. When they finished, Sebastian hopped on the horse and took off towards the direction that Kurt had told him about their first night together.

Sebastian crossed the bridge over the moat and arrived at the Lovell’s manor house, he took in the grey and orange bricks with the red roof to make the two-floor manor. Sebastian thought of the fact that he’d snuck away from court and wondered if anyone would miss him. He then pushed those thoughts away and clicked his horse forward. A groom walked forward and bowed in respect as Sebastian unsaddled.

“Your Highness, what a pleasant surprise,” the groom said from his perch on the ground. He kept his head bowed. “Might I take your horse? I will signal for the receivers to lead you in.”

“Thank you,” Sebastian said. He let the boy take his horse to the stalls that held other horses and turned as the front door opened. A man about the same age as Sebastian appeared and bowed.

“Your Highness,” the receiver said. He stood and held a hand forward. “If you please, my master will see you now.”

He entered a library and began entertaining himself with one of the bound books. Sebastian always enjoyed the feel of bound books compared to manuscripts. They all were transcribed onto papers, but the books just felt better.

“Your Royal Highness,” a voice said. “I thought we were done for the day.”

Closing the book, Sebastian turned. “Well, I came to the only person I can come to.”

“Why me?”

Sebastian shrugged and stepped towards Kurt. He looked into Kurt’s blue eyes—they always seemed to change—and smiled. He grasped Kurt’s soft cheek and began to run his thumb back and forth.

“I wanted to ask something of you,” Sebastian said in a whisper.

“And what’s that?” Kurt stepped forward. He let his hands settle on Sebastian’s hips.

“Distract me,” Sebastian replied.

Kurt bit his lip, narrowed his eyes, and blinked rapidly before letting a smirk grow. He let his hands wander. “Gladly.” With that, Kurt pushed his head up and softly placed his lips onto Sebastian's.


	8. Queen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have officially finished writing this story. I am in the midst of waiting for my lovely beta to finish betaing before I post the rest of the story. In the meantime, please enjoy this chapter!

_“Though the sex to which I belong is considered weak you will nevertheless find me a rock that bends to no wind.” – Elizabeth I_

 

Margery watched with tears festering in her eyes as Edward slammed her husband against the table and hold a knife to his neck. She watched Edward stomp off after William refused to send armies to find Cecily, and she looked on as Sebastian learned that his father would rather see a bastard on the throne than him.

She blinked away tears and focused on the anger festering inside her chest. Her husband would rather see her daughter dead than sacrifice time to save her. Margery tightened her hands into fists at her side, her nails biting the skin of her palm.

"You horrible monster," she whispered to her husband. She watched him straighten his dark doublet back into place and settle at his desk. He took out a quill from the ink it sat in and began scratching onto a piece of parchment.

The sound of the quill scratching parchment echoed in the room for minutes.

"Yes, my wife?" he asked finally.

"You monster," she said. "You would see our daughter harmed just to protect your pride?" Margery shook her head. "I always took you for a fool, but never did I think you were this dumb."

"I would bide my tongue, if I were you. I can have you locked away," William replied.

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" Margery stepped forward. "You simply cannot stand the fact that as long as you and I are alive, you will forever be tied to me. Our vows promised us to one another, and it will be a cold day in the Hells before I allow you to treat me like you do our children."

"Enough!" William slammed his hands on the desk. "You will bide your tongue, Woman, or I will have it ripped out."

"I would like to see you try, you coward," Margery said. With that, she curtsied in the same fashion as her sons and walked out of the room. She dared him to try anything. She knew he wouldn't, though. To harm her was to harm half of his allies, and even he wasn't that dumb.

It was then that Margery realized what needed to be done. If William wouldn't save her daughter, then she needed to insure it herself. There was only one way to do that.

Margery hurried down the hallways until she caught up with Edward walking towards the courtyard.

"Edward!" Margery hurried next to him. She stopped him and waited for him to ask her what was wrong.

"Yes?" he asked. His eyes glared at her, though Margery didn't blame him. She probably looked the same towards him.

"You need to find Cecily," Margery said. "You said you had information on her whereabouts?"

"Lady Mother, I cannot go after her," Edward said. He bowed his head and tightened his jaw. It moved back and forth, though Margery heard no sound of teeth grinding. "Father forbade it. I cannot disobey his ruling, and even if I did, the armies will not rally around me without the proper funds."

Margery took her son's chin in her hand and forced him to look at her. She dropped her hands to grasp his. "You must, my son. You are her only hope."

"Then convince Father," Edward said. His eyebrows drew together and he shook his head. "He won't listen to me, Lady Mother, but he may listen to his wife. You are, after all, the only one who can change his mind."

"I'm afraid his mind is already made up. That man shares one thing with my children, and that is his stubbornness."

Edward let a tiny smile escape before he drew it back in. "I'm sure we got that from you instead of him, Lady Mother."

"You might be right, my son. In the meantime, you say you need funds for the armies?" Margery turned back towards the courtyard and let Edward lead her towards it. She knew any spies of her husband's would report their meeting to William by the end of their meeting, but she simply could not care. When it came to her children, she would even disobey her lord and husband.

"Yes, but Father won't give them," Edward said. He lowered his voice as he stared at the different people flocking around the courtyard. It was almost too easy to spot these spies in the courtyard.

"I can get the funds," Margery replied.

"How?"

Margery stopped and turned Edward toward him. As much as he had grown, Margery forever saw him as the little baby she'd held in her arms. It hurt to think that he had to experience this hurt now. Then again, half the hurt her sons and daughter faced were because of their father. She had come to loathe that man with a passion. He hardly made time for her except when marital duties were needed. Even then he barely paid her any heed. The only time she got reprieve from this was when she was pregnant, and that hadn’t happened in a long time.

"I am the queen of Avarencia, Edward. My job is to care for the order of the house. Part of my duties is to oversee the Chamberlain, no? And what does the Chamberlain do?"

"Help with funds," Edward whispered. His eyes widened. "Mother, you cannot!"

"I can and I will. I merely convince the chamberlain that those funds are needed, you pay the armies, and you get my daughter back," Margery said. "And once you return, we will talk about the predicaments your father has bestowed upon Avarencia."

"Lady Mother, you speak of treason," he said. Edward's eyes widened even more if possible. "You could be burned for this!"

"I would happily receive death if it meant my daughter's return," Margery replied. "And you forget who I was before marriage."

Edward smiled again. "You are every bit as strong as you were before marriage, Lady Mother."

"I meant my family, Edward." Margery looked at the spies before saying in a low voice, "You know the state of our kingdom, Edward. My family's funds are what sustain us now from going bankrupt. I have a lot of wealth and power on my own. Don't be so quick to think your father can get rid of me so easily."

Edward nodded before closing his eyes and sighing. His shoulders dropped when he opened his eyes again. He stared at his mother with a mixture of hope and courage that she hadn't seen in him in a long time. "Lady Mother, you are braver than some of those knights on the field. I am most proud to call you my mother and would be honored to serve as leader for this mission. Are you positive you can hold Father off?"

Margery smirked. "Your father is easily entertained. You get my daughter."

"Why is it you seem to care more for us than Father?" Edward asked, again in a small voice.

Margery grimaced and grasped her son's hands tightly. "Your father cares in his own way, possibly. But I want you to know this: you and Sebastian are my sons, and Cecily is my daughter. I would sail to the ends of this world to protect you from harm. I would happily die to protect you all."


	9. Move

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for taking forever to post this chapter, but here's the next chapter! Thanks for reading :)

_“Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” – Confucius_

 

_I must be strong. Like Aelia Smythe._

Cecily jerked against the chains that bound her. She watched Tobyn shoot her a look before turning back to the rest of the people. They were moving camp; Cecily could only guess that someone was looking for her.

She would be safe soon.

The trees around her were morphing from trees that lost leaves to those trees that survived all year long. They were moving north, Cecily noted. She bit back a yelp as one of the needles from the trees bit into her foot. She wanted so badly to stop and rest or at least to dig the pine needle out. Soon they would hit the snow that always plagued Nesolia and Cecily knew she certainly wasn’t dressed for that. She would probably die from the sharp winds alone; people from Avarencia were not built to withstand the cold the north suffered through after all.

“So,” Cecily asked. She sped up as much as her chains would allow and stepped closer to Tobyn. “Will I end up like Lucretia Talbot? Raped by your leader and left to fend for herself?”

“We care for Lucretia Talbot,” Tobyn replied. He kept his head forward. Cecily ground her teeth together. She clenched her fist. “And as long as I am in charge of your care, you will never be dishonored by Raoul.”

“I’m already dishonored. I will be the disgrace of my family once I return home. If I return home.” Cecily blinked away tears. “They will wonder what was done to me. How I survived. But one thing on everyone’s mind will be whether the men of your camp fucked me or if I’m still pure.”

Tears slid down Cecily’s face.

Tobyn turned to look at her, his green eyes shining sympathy. Cecily so wanted to tell him she didn’t need his sympathy but she couldn’t bear the words.

“Others may think that, but you will be honored as the princess you are,” he said finally.

“You must think me a simpering fool.” Cecily turned back to him, fire in her blue eyes. “I will make it home and your camp will be branded traitors to the crowns of our kingdoms.” She shook her head. “Why brand yourself this way? Why fight for the losing side?”

Tobyn glared at her. He clenched his fists and looked at the ground. He smirked and looked back up, a façade plain as day. “You’re nothing like the precious Aelia Smythe, are you? You’re nothing more than a little girl attempting to play games that adults play.”

Cecily stopped, her chains being pulled against her skin. Her eyes shut and she felt her heart beating out of her chest.  “I may not be Aelia Smythe, but I am as strong as Aelia Smythe, and you would do well to remember exactly what I will do to you when I am free.”

Tobyn chuckled and those around began blatantly laughing at her. Cecily felt her skin burning with ridicule.

Aelia Smythe, the golden Smythe from their dynasty.

Cecily knew she was nothing like her, and yet to hear others say she would never amount to what Aelia Smythe was hurt her in ways she couldn’t explain.

How could she, though?

Aelia Smythe inherited the throne on her own right, and fought every moment of her life to ensure she kept power that would normally go to a husband. Instead of marrying, Aelia proved smarter than her council when she took a lover to her bed and made him the official queen's concubine.

Cecily looked at her tattered dress with disdain. She didn’t have half the courage Aelia Smythe had. She had tried to defend herself against these savages and lost in the end.

If she were Aelia Smythe, Cecily could just imagine what she would do. She first of all wouldn’t have stopped when going for Raoul’s head, she would have walked out of the tent with it held high. She then would have ordered traitor executions to any who had touched Princess Lucretia before ordering the others left to be burnt at the stake for their treasonous ways. They wouldn’t be granted the quick beheading, but instead tortured until the last breath left their bodies.

Cecily turned to look back at Lucretia. She noticed Lucretia speaking softly with one of the rebels walking beside her. Her dark locks fell to the middle of her back and had several braids running throughout with little bells and colorful strings wound through. She carried a bow and arrows on her person and her cognac colored eyes spoke to having seen more than Cecily cared to know.

Cecily thought the woman’s name talking to Lucretia was Sybil, but she could be wrong. All she knew was that whatever Sybil was saying to Lucretia was making her blush and stare into Sybil’s eyes the way Cecily had only ever seen Edward do with Princess Sophie.

They were in love.

Sybil smiled before moving towards other rebels who each hefted different things with them. Some carried materials for tents; others held onto stuff that a wagon pulled. Everyone seemed to be helping to move, as if they didn’t care that they had to give up a potential home.

Cecily moved back to stand next to Lucretia.

“If you don’t mind me asking,” Cecily said, “how exactly did you manage to get here? You know my story.”

Lucretia grimaced. She looked away, a hand rubbing her belly. Her hands were covered with dirt and dried blood—Cecily suspected from the chains chafing her skin—and her blonde locks matted against the back of her head. She obviously hadn’t showered in weeks. “I was escaping the castle one night. It’d just been announced that I would be married off for the advancement of our family’s alliances. I just wanted to clear my mind a bit, and I figured the Kingsroad would be safe. They were waiting for me there.”

Cecily sighed and desperately wished she could hug her. “Your family hasn’t come to save you then?”

Lucretia looked down at the ground before turning to look at Sybil. She closed her eyes and shook her head. “I don’t even think they tried, not that I blame them. Besides, part of me has come to see this as my home.”

“And the other part?”

Cecily watched Lucretia stare daggers at her belly. She couldn’t imagine what it would be like to be forced into giving birth the way Lucretia was. Lucretia continued staring at her pregnant belly as she said, “The other part of me detests all I’ve been through and wishes to see the one responsible dead at my feet for this.”

 

 


	10. Strategy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, here's another update! I'm hoping to get the rest of "part one" up by the end of this weekend :) enjoy!

_“The truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is.” — Winston Churchill_

Sebastian rolled over and stared at Kurt. He took in the way Kurt relaxed while sleeping and couldn’t help but smile to himself. Lying in the bed with Kurt, just the two of them, made Sebastian wish for nothing more than this life eternally.

That thought stopped him in his tracks.

He shook his head and moved to get out of the bed. He pulled his smallclothes on and his chemise before he began pulling on his breeches and doublet. He pulled on his shoes next before turning back to the bed.

“I’m sorry,” Sebastian whispered. He walked over to Kurt’s sleeping body and kissed his forehead softly before walking out. As he made his way out of the Lovells’ manor house, Sebastian couldn’t help but look back. Something was different with Kurt; he wasn’t sure what it was, but all he knew was that whenever he and Kurt were together, Sebastian was able to be himself and forget all the horrible drama that came with his name.

But he was a Smythe.

No matter how _good_ Kurt made him feel, Sebastian could never forget his royal blood. No matter how _free_ Kurt made him feel, Sebastian would always be tied to whatever scheme his father involved him in. He was forever in the web his father wove, and no matter how much Sebastian wanted to forget his father, he wanted too badly to be recognized by him to stop.

The stable boy brought the horse around and Sebastian was on his way back to the castle.

Throughout the ride, Sebastian continually forced his thoughts from Kurt. He couldn’t allow himself to, gods forbid, fall for him. It would never work out, and Sebastian knew it would end horribly. Nevertheless, his mind wandered to a world far away from here.

He wondered what it would be like to be one of the first Smythes to publically acknowledge a lover of the same gender. He would be making history for his family, and no matter how his father would take it he would be living his life for himself.

Sebastian wondered how Kurt would feel to be in the light like that; it was not like Kurt was a royal like Sebastian, after all.

His thoughts vanished and Sebastian’s face became devoid of all emotions once he approached the main gate to the castle. The men there bowed in respect and allowed him to gallop through.

He stopped near the stables and waited until one of the stable boys walked up to him and grasped the reins.

“Sebastian!” Edward yelled as Sebastian leapt from the horse and began walking through the ward.

“Yes, Edward?” Sebastian walked towards his brother, noting the circles beneath his eyes. He must have been up half the night worrying about things with Cecily.

“You’re needed with me along with the other soldiers. There’s been a move,” Edward said. He turned and began to walk back towards the keep. “Long story short, we have the funds to move against the rebels. There have been reports of a couple hundred men moving towards what many suspect to be a larger camp near the border of Tiavor with a couple of captives noted. We are set to move in the morning, if you’re willing to come after everything.”

“I would rather die than miss this. We will get Cecily back, Edward, I promise you that,” Sebastian said. They turned to the room others stood at. Sebastian looked at all the men in the room, his mind whirling. He wondered how they managed to get this many men in the matter of a day or so.

Edward took his place in front of the men.

“You’ve all been gathered here today for a battle that will go down in history. I know you’ve all been briefed on the specifics of this battle, so I’ll jump in to the strategy.

“Jasper and I will lead his men to the eastern side of Wynfield. Sebastian will head for a higher outlook with the archers. We will gather men who will in turn gather intel on these rebels and we will strike when it is to our benefit. We do not want the likes of the princess harmed, nor do we want any other hostages they may have. Attack any who get in your way, but ensure they do not die. We will need as many as we can for questioning once we return,” Edward said. In that moment, Sebastian eyed his older brother with the respect a king would require. He looked every bit a king except for a crown, and Sebastian knew he would rule well one day.

Sebastian glanced at his nephew Jasper and wondered how well he would go along with this plan. He knew Jasper would hate splitting up the cavalry, but to be honest, they had no idea what would be in store once they reached the camp. These men could be experienced fighters or they simply could have gotten lucky.

“Prepare yourselves for a potential battle. Bowmen, ensure you have enough arrows. Knights, be sure you have everything in order when we leave in the morning.” Edward looked at the map before him of the forest for a moment before looking back up. “I don’t want to say this won’t be a dangerous fight. We have no idea what these rebels have in terms of fighting men. Be on your guard and be at the best shape possible in the morning. And may the gods favor us tomorrow with victory.”

The men all held fists and began to yell triumphantly. Sebastian shared a look with Edward before raising his fist himself and yelling along. Even as he followed the other men, Sebastian was drafting a letter that he would send to someone.

Later, in the peace of his room, Sebastian sat down at his desk and pulled a quill and piece of parchment out. He began writing.

_“My dearest Kurt,_

_It has come to my attention that I may die tomorrow. Gods willing that I may survive so that I may feast my eyes upon your face once more, and that I may say what has come to me these past few hours since leaving your presence._

_I am but a boy who has never been particularly skilled in the expressing of emotions. I have been called words far below my stature in terms of emotions and sharing them with others, and yet I cannot help but find myself wishing to share my emotions with you._

_When I see your face, my entire body lights up. It is as if a mere person is able to help me forget all that occurs in daily life; I wish deeply to never feel the pains of reality whenever thou art in your presence. It seems so easy to let all the agonies go so that I may always be in your company, and yet that very feeling causes me to escape back to the reality I fear._

_You are like a medicine for my soul, and I thank you much for that aide. I fear, however, that I may someday become addicted, and in that addiction I may hurt myself more than I should in this life._

_Nevertheless, I wish to express all the ways in which you have helped me since all that has happened. If there were one thing I wished to change from that night, it would be only the fate beheld unto my sister for I know that you and I were meant to meet that night. Perhaps the gods meant for you to save me._

_If I do not make it back from rescuing my sister, I wish for you to know that I have had such thoughts of you to plague me constantly. If nothing more, please keep my memory in your thoughts for I am sure that your thoughts of me will be most beneficial._

_Much gratitude,_

_Sebastian Smythe.”_

Sebastian folded the letter and poured wax to seal it. He took his ring with his insignia engraved on it and stamped it into the seal. He called one of the servants in.

“Give this to Lady Anaïs Lovell and instruct her to deliver it to Mister Kurt Hummel as soon as possible,” Sebastian said. The servant nodded and took the letter.

 

 


	11. Battle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow it's been a while! Okay, to be far, life got in the way for both my beta and I. However, it's been several years, and I've gotten several comments asking why the story had been abandoned, and I already had the story finished years ago. Therefore, I've decided to finish uploading the story. It will be largely unbetaed, but I will try to read over the story and fix grammatical errors. 
> 
> If you've stuck around for this long, then I applaud you.

_ “Vengeance brings only more vengeance, and battle brings death.” – Elizabeth Woodville,  _ The White Queen

Edward stood still in his pourpoint with the linen shirt underneath. He’d already laced his chausses to his braies and put on his low boots. The pageboys moved in and began by helping him place the sabatons on top of the low boots before moving onto the greaves and cuisses. The cuisses laced to the pourpoints. The pageboys then pulled the gambeson over the pourpoint. They pulled the chainmail over Edward’s head and arms and settled it above the pourpoint. One pageboy grabbed the breastplate, and that was added as well, sitting snugly against Edward’s hips. They continued lacing up the armor until Edward stood ready for battle.

“Your sword, Your Highness,” another pageboy said with his hands outstretched with the sword. Edward settled the sword at his side and nodded to the boys. He then stepped out of his chamber and began the trek to the bailey where the others would be waiting. As he turned a corner, he noticed a woman standing there, blonde hair hanging down in curls around her face. She looked back and forth as if wondering what she was doing before turning back to Edward.

“My lady,” Edward said, “I did not realize you would be arriving this early.”

The lady curtsied before rising. Though she attempted to keep emotion from appearing, Edward could see concern in her eyes when she looked up at him. “This place is in an uproar. They had said the wedding would be put off for a month until his royal highness could mourn the loss of his sister properly. I apologize if my presence has come too soon, Your Highness, I merely wished to offer my condolences.”

“My lady Elinor, you mean no harm here,” Edward said. He stepped close to her and smiled as much as he could. Part of his mind was focused on the fact that he and about 1,500 other men were openly defying his father, and the other part was wondering how many men they would face. He hoped their men were enough to handle about 500 rebels.

“I did not realize you were going off to battle,” Elinor said.

“There has been a development involving my sister. We mean to go rescue her.” Edward looked away from Elinor, unsure how to truly act around his betrothed.

“And that has caused the tension between people? I would assume pure rebellion were happening here,” Elinor said. Her eyes widened and she stammered. “N—not that I meant any mention about the rebels that have taken your sister. Pardon me, Your Highness, for my brash words.”

“It’s alright,” Edward said. “I understand what you meant. I hope your stay here is easy, but I must meet the others in the bailey.”

“Of course, Your Highness,” Elinor said. She moved out of the way and bent her head. Edward made it almost to the corner of the hallway before she spoke up again. “Your Highness, I know that we are not yet wed, but if it please you, I shall pray heartily to the gods for your safety and the safe return of your sister.”

Edward stopped, looked at Elinor in her purple dress and smiled slightly. He might not care for her, but it meant a lot that she would proclaim that when they weren’t yet married. “I thank you much for that, my lady.” He nodded to her and continued around the corner and through the castle until he made it to the bailey.

Once Edward made it atop his white horse, he maneuvered the horse until he was turned in front of the others. He caught eyes with Sebastian who nodded solemnly. He too had been suited up and sat upon a horse awaiting his brother’s command.

Edward sighed and looked at the others. All of them openly defying his father’s crown for his own, and the only thing he could think of was how they would be received.

He coughed and raised his hand, silencing the already silent men. “My people, I thank you all from the bottom of my heart for the loyalty you have shown my family. Most of you realize that in acting on my behalf, you are in fact disobeying my father’s orders. I cannot help but think that in the heat of all of this, when we win, we will all face my father, and I want you all to know that my family’s love for you all will remain no matter the consequences raised.

“I was raised to be an honorable man, a man who strikes back upon those who wish to attack the crown. In doing so, I have placed each and every one of you in danger and I apologize profusely for that.”

Edward looked down at his horse before looking back up. Each man remained. “This fight today will be one of historic means. Rebels amounting close to 500 move towards what many believe is a bigger camp, and I know each and every one of us will stand strong against these rebels. We will be superior against these savages, and we will save the likes of my sister, who has loved all of our people from the bottom of her heart, and anyone else they have crudely taken from their home.

“This may be the last some of us see one another, but I know that we will all meet again one day. In leaving this castle, I want to personally thank each and every one of you who has freely given their lives for the benefit of our home. It means the world of me to see such loyalty.”

Men holding Avarencia’s flag began to move their poles up and down, clicking it against the ground. The men on the ground raised their own weapons and began cheering along with the bannermen. Those on horses—Sebastian, Jasper, and other knights they’d managed to ring up—nodded solemnly.

Edward turned and began marching the men from the bailey to the gates. He continued leading the men through the forests until Wynfield came into view. Sebastian looked at Edward and Jasper as they clicked their horses forward before he led his men onwards.

About a half-day’s ride landed them here. Edward’s horse moved in its spot at the front lines where their men were positioned. He looked over his shoulder to see bowmen gathering arrows. Sebastian moved up and down the line, surveying each man before turning back to look out at the perimeter.

“I don’t like this,” Jasper said.

Edward stared at his son and sighed. “Something doesn’t feel right.”

The men around the two began to shuffle.

“At ease, men,” Edward commanded. He gripped the reins tightly and stared forward. The sun was beginning to wane in the sky. Night would come soon and then there would be no way to be properly ready for any attack.

He glanced over at Jasper to see his son grasping at the hilt of his sword.

“They’re here,” he said under his breath.

“What?” Edward asked.

“They’re here. Hiding. Surveying.” Jasper looked out the corner of his eye.

A branch snapped.

Most men were at ease.

Suddenly a loud yell erupted. “Fire!” Sebastian yelled from his position with the bowmen. Arrows rained from the sky towards the bushes surrounding the clearing.

“Attack!” Edward snapped the reins and rushed forward. Men jumped from the bushes to run towards them. More arrows rained and hit a handful. They crumpled to the floor only to be stepped on by other rebels as they raced to attack.

Edward’s sword in his hand, he swung down and cut men nearby. Blood sprayed his face, and he wiped it away quickly to swing at another man.

“We need prisoners! Fight to capture, not to kill!” Jasper yelled from his position.

Edward plunged his sword into another man. There was no way he could stop these men from attacking him.

His horse neighed and suddenly jumping up. Edward gasped, his hands grasping in vain at the reins as he tumbled off the back. His back slammed into the ground behind him. Rebels surrounded his horse and he watched his beloved companion fall to their swings.

The men moved to him next.

This was it.

Edward’s eyes closed at the last second before he heard someone’s voice.

“What are you doing? Fight!”

“Cecily? Cecily!” Edward’s eyes snapped back open as a battle ax began swinging towards him. He rolled several inches away and hopped to his feet as fast as his armor would allow. The melodic swoosh of another sword met his ears. He turned and brought his sword against a rebel’s feeble sword. The rebel grunted and moved to pull back when Edward yelled and swooped the sword upwards, cutting into the rebel’s neck.

The rebel fell to the ground and a woman moved to attack. She raced towards him with her arms raised to hold her sword. Before she could even get close, Edward sunk his blade into her stomach. She fell to the ground just as quickly.

More and more rebels fell to the ground and Edward realized just how difficult it would be to not kill them.

“Don’t kill!” he exclaimed anyway. “Keep them alive if you can!”

He and Jasper shared a look. They’d managed to stand next to one another as more rebels moved on them.

Jasper shook his head. “It’s too difficult not to kill, Edward. How are we to not kill when they keep attacking?”

“I’m not sure, but keep any alive that we can,” Edward said. He turned. Jasper and he ducked. A longsword thrust forward, but the rebel’s clumsy hands barely held onto it. Edward pushed his sword up and managed to grapple the sword from the rebel’s hands. She gasped as Edward rushed forward and grabbed her front.

“Let me go!” she squirmed against his hold.

“I don’t think so,” Edward replied. He hated to do this, but he’d already killed one woman, so he figured whatever happened to this woman wouldn’t be that bad. He motioned for one of the nearby infantrymen to take the woman and bind her.

“And do not touch her inappropriately, or I will have your head,” Edward said. The man nodded and took her back to a handful of others.

The battle was won shortly after that. Most rebels had died fighting, and those that they managed to not kill wouldn’t talk. The moon had begun to peek from behind clouds and the sun had set.

“Where are the rebels?” Jasper asked. He perched himself in front of one of the rebels near a fire that’d been built.

Edward and Sebastian turned and began to search all the belongings the rebels had. They searched everything, but found no evidence to captives.

“She’s not here,” Sebastian sighed. He grasped his right arm and groaned. He looked down at the ground before slamming his hands into a nearby tree. “She’s not here!”

“I realize that!” Edward fell to the ground and looked up at the sky. He clenched his eyes shut and let out a sharp yell before letting tears fall. “She’s not here.”

Sebastian sunk to the ground next to him and began crying too.

“Father,” Jasper stepped between two trees and bent his head, his blonde locks covered with dirt. “One of the rebels spoke of Cecily.”

Edward nodded and wiped his face. He waited until Sebastian stood up before moving towards the remaining rebels. The one before him looked as if he would say anything to mess with the other side. He constantly looked between Edward’s forces and the remaining rebels. He had a permanent smirk on his face even though his hands were tied behind his back.

“You’re speaking of my sister?” Edward asked. He stood in front of this rebel with his hand clenching around the hilt of his sword at his side. “What do you know of her?”

The rebel looked up at Edward with the same smirk on his face. He began laughing erratically. He stopped only when one of Edward’s men slammed their gauntlet-covered hand into his face, scraping his cheek.

He spit blood at Edward’s feet and began laughing again.

“You’ll never find her. And you’ve shown just what an asset she is. I can’t wait until Raoul sticks his prick in her and gets her pregnant like the other one. Then she’ll be soiled for sure,” the rebel said. “Then again, maybe Tobyn will get to her first.”

“You son of a bitch!” Sebastian moved to strike the man. Edward held him back. “How dare you speak of a princess in that way!”

“Sebastian!” Edward glared at Sebastian before turning back to the man. The man grinned even wider if that were possible and laughed as if he were the king of the world. Edward clenched his fist and felt his heart beating out of his chest. He glared at the man.

“She’ll be with one of rebels within a month’s time. Soon, we’ll have all the princesses we can find. All fit for the men of our camp.” The rebel licked his lips as if tasting a ripe fruit. “All sweet to the touch, even if they don’t want it.”

Edward growled and lunged for the man. He grasped him by the arms and slammed him onto the ground. With his arm against the man’s throat, he looked the man in the eyes. His eyes like daggers, he said in a quiet voice, “You speak of another lady in that way, and I’ll have your tongue.”

The rebel merely licked his lips once more in the same manner. “It won’t be long now, I’m sure. Tobyn already has her under his spell of chivalry and innocence.”

“Until what?” Edward ground his arm harder into the man’s throat. The man groaned and smirked.

“Until he really has her underneath him.”

Jaw taut, Edward pulled back only to order the men to hold the rebel’s head. He could see the other rebels staring as the men angled the rebel’s head to pull out his tongue. An archer handed Edward a knife.

He knelt down in front of the rebel who had his eyes wide. He fought against the others holding him and tried to speak despite the fact that one man held his jaw taught.

“Let’s hope the gods show no mercy upon your soul,” Edward said. He pulled off his gauntlets and his gloves. He reached into the man’s mouth and pulled the tongue out. In one swift move, he slid the knife through the tongue and was sprayed once more with blood. The man’s screams were garbled with blood filling his mouth and spilling from his lips.

“Now,” Edward said. “Under the order of the Avarecian crown, I charge you with treason against the crown and crimes against humanity. You are to be bound, drawn, and quartered once we reach the castle again.” He flung the tongue next to the man’s head and stepped away to wipe his face.

“Load up the prisoners. When we reach home each man and woman held will be charged with treason and whatever crime suitable charged to him or her. This man, however, is to be hanged, drawn, and quartered. We did well today, my men.” Edward motioned to one of the bannermen and men pulled the horses into the clearance. He, Sebastian, Jasper, and the other knights hopped onto the horses (minus one knight who gave his horse up for Edward) while the rebels were tied to them, stripped naked. Most never complained.

As much as today had been a victory in terms of numbers, Edward knew they’d lost critically. Somehow the rebels knew of their move against them. Someone had told them, and Edward intended to find out who leaked their information.

_ We will find you, Cecily, and if any man dare touch you we will have their blood. _ Edward began to move forward.  _ We will have their blood one way or another. _

 


	12. Fight

_ "If you prick us, do we not bleed? if you tickle us, do we not laugh? if you poison us, do we not die? and if you wrong us, shall we not revenge?" _ \-- Shylock,  _ The Merchant of Venice _ (III, 1)

 

They had been walking for days and Cecily was sure her feet would fall off any moment. Her dress officially only covered the bare necessities, and she knew that any moment one of the rebels would walk by and pull the rest of it off.

She could see little pine needles sticking into the bottom of her feet every time she looked down. She bit back tears and looked back at Lucretia.

“They move camp every few weeks,” Lucretia said. She looked at Sybil who kept creeping closer to her. She smiled before turning back to Cecily. “So they can ensure no one finds any of the camps.”

“My brothers are out there looking for me,” Cecily said. She hated the fact that she could smell her breath as she spoke. It made her nose wrinkle whenever she uttered words, and made her want to throw up whenever she could taste it in her mouth.

“They will never find you,” Lucretia replied. She eyed Cecily before sighing. She looked back at Sybil who signaled for the other rebels to stop for a while. Cecily, having been tied to Lucretia, was forced to a fallen log as Lucretia struggled to sit down.

“I know they will,” Cecily said.

“At what point will you stop relying on your family and start fighting for yourself?” Lucretia asked.

Sybil walked over then, her hand clenching the bow she kept on her the entire time. She eyed Cecily as if she would fight back any moment—word must have spread about Cecily’s ability with a sword—before smiling at Lucretia.

“Raoul has said we will stop here for the day,” Sybil said. She unlatched Cecily from Lucretia’s chain and shooed her away.

Shaking her head, Cecily watched as the rebels assembled what tents they had taken and began to get ready for a night’s rest.

“Hey, there, little lady.” A gassy breath passed in front of her nose and Cecily almost barfed. An equally nasty hand pressed into her side. “What say you and I have a little fun?”

“How about you take your damn hand from my side and go fuck yourself,” Cecily replied. She gasped when the man pulled her around and forced her against the tree.

“Or how’s ‘bout I take you against this tree? Would you like that?” Cecily struggled against his hold.

“Get off of me!” Cecily wished her hands weren’t still tied in front of her.

“Let go of her,” a voice said from behind them. Tobyn glared at the man. “Or I cut your prick off myself.”

“You just don’t want to share,” the man spat at Tobyn and let Cecily go. He stomped off to a woman who had her hands on her hips. Cecily watched the woman punch the man in the face before walking off to a tent.

“I will be defiled here,” Cecily said. She shook against the tree, her hands clenching and unclenching. “You can’t always save me.”

“I will protect you,” Tobyn said. He offered a hand. Cecily looked at it before looking away to the stars filling the sky. She wished she were far away from here. Tears began to fall and she couldn’t help it when she fell to the ground and began sobbing.

Cecily faintly felt arms wrap around her and instinctively began to tug from the hold. “Relax, Princess, I’m merely moving you to our tent.”

When she was safely inside the tent and on the bed material Tobyn carried, she curled into a ball and clenched her eyes shut.

“You will need to clean yourself up,” Tobyn said after a while. “Raoul wishes to see you.”

“What, so he can rape me? Maybe Lucretia and I can trade labor secrets for his bastard sons,” Cecily spat. “I know he did that to her. I see the way she cowers whenever he is near. She practically tumbles over herself when he talks to the rebels. If it weren’t for Sybil, she probably would go truly insane,” Cecily replied. She wiped her face and resolved to never show that kind of weakness again.

She remembered Lucretia’s words and vowed she would get herself home, but not before taking a few people's heads for what they had tried to do to her.

“I will be in the room when he speaks with you. He will not try anything,” Tobyn said. He grabbed a cape from a pack of clothes and offered it to Cecily. “When I get the chance I will ask one of the rebel ladies to offer you clothes.”

“Right, so I can look a rebel too? No thanks,” Cecily said. She tied the cape around her nonetheless. “Let’s get this over with.”

She was again led to their leader’s tent. She walked in to Raoul standing with his chemise plainly open. Cecily wanted to gawk at how he could appear so disheveled in the appearance of a lady.

“Tobyn, leave us.” Raoul waved his hand as he moved to stand a breath’s width apart. Cecily had seen this before. Tobyn shot her a look before exiting the tent. She clenched her eyes shut as Raoul ran hands down her inner arm, barely touching her sides as he grasped her wrists. She couldn’t even remember when her cuffs had been taken off—probably when she was still crying.

“You, Princess Cecily, are a divine creature,” Raoul breathed next to her face. He placed his lips against her ear. She closed her eyes and wished to be far from here and then snapped her eyes open.

She would not let this happen.

“If you so much as touch me again I will have all of your fingers,” Cecily growled. She shot him a look and pushed his hands off her. “I am a lady and I will be treated as such.”

“I will have you,” Raoul said. He grinned. “You will moan for much more than my prick when I’m done with you.”

“In the darkest pit of the underworld will I ever want you near me,” Cecily replied.

Raoul laughed. “You’ve still got some fight left in you? I’d figured you would have given up by now. The other one gave in a lot sooner.”

“I am Cecily Smythe. I have Aelia Smythe’s blood running through my veins. I will never give up easily.”

“Then allow me to assist you,” Raoul said. Within a moment, he had Cecily against the same desk he’d been pushed against and his hand hiking up her leg.

“No!” Cecily yelled. Her fists slammed into his chest, but he was too muscular for her to make a mark. “No!”

“Yes,” Raoul said. His hand was moving up her thigh. Cecily blinked tears and began moving every part of her she could. She would not let this happen. She couldn’t.

“Tobyn!” Cecily yelled before Raoul smothered her lips with his lips. She thrashed back and forth. Freeing her lips, she exclaimed, “Tobyn! Please!”

“Tobyn won’t come in. I’ll kill him otherwise,” Raoul said. His hand touched where Cecily feared it would and she began to cry.

Please. Someone stop this.

“That’s far enough,” Tobyn said. Cecily felt Raoul move from atop her and a chill moved up her spine at the look he sent her. She cowered even more when Tobyn pulled her from the room.

Cecily blinked and couldn’t feel anything. Another person walked in her body it seemed. Surely this hadn’t just happened to her.

When Tobyn secured her in his tent once more, Cecily finally uttered, “I have to go home.”

She blinked as he began blotting water against parts of her face. She suddenly felt hot and threw her hands up, shoving him away.

“I have to go home!” Cecily’s eyes wide, she shook her head back and forth and crossed her legs to keep the thought of what he’d done from her mind.

“I can’t abandon this rebellion.”

Cecily blinked and glared at Tobyn. “Why not? You know what Raoul tried to do to me, what he did to Lucretia and gods know who else. He will eventually succeed with me, Tobyn, and you and I both know this rebellion will die if he touches me. My brothers will hunt him down to the ends of the earth and kill him in the most painful way possible as payback.”

Tobyn shook his head. “It is not that simple. I realize this, Cecily, I do, and let your brothers come, but I will not leave this rebellion. Not after what they did to—” he stopped and looked at his feet.

Cecily drew her eyebrows together. “Did to whom?”

“No one.”

Cecily sighed and closed her eyes. Her shaking hand rubbed at the juncture between her eyes before opening them again. “Tobyn.”

“What?”

“Get me out of here.”

“I can’t.”

Cecily stood up. She smiled as much as she could, given what she’d just been through. “You can. You are my trusted guardian here. You can lead me to safety.”

“Enough!” Tobyn threw his hand up. He pointed to Cecily, his eyes glaring at her. She shifted footing, stepping back. Her heart leapt from her chest and her breaths came out in gasps. “You are to stay here, and if Raoul touches you again then I will kill him myself.”

Cecily ground her teeth together. She stepped close to him. Her eyes showed no emotion, and Cecily wasn’t sure that she felt emotion herself as she uttered, “No, you won’t. If he touches me again, I will be the first to kill him, and then… I will come after you.”

Tobyn’s eyes widened and he stared at Cecily as she scooted back to the bed and laid down to sleep.


	13. Love

_ "Impossible loves... I am very much afraid they can become an addiction." _ \- Cesare Borgia, The Borgias

 

It’d been a year, and nobody had heard or seen any trace of rebels. While Edward worked meticulously to find any rebels and to get information from those he’d tortured, he ended up with zero information still.

Sebastian lounged against his bed and stared at a parchment that entailed one of the rebel’s last confessions before being executed that day. He groaned as Kurt’s hand slid up his leg.

“I am busy,” Sebastian said. He grinned at Kurt who smirked in return before leaning close to Sebastian’s growing erection.

“I would think you’re not,” Kurt said. “Part of you agrees.”

“Well, more than that agrees, Kurt, but I do need to assess this final confession.” Sebastian threw his head back and groaned as Kurt sunk his head onto Sebastian’s erection.

“Gods are you a magnificent lover,” Sebastian groaned. He tossed the paper aside. Though Kurt’s hands dug into his hips, Sebastian wrapped a hand through Kurt’s locks and began tugging.

He moaned loudly when Kurt began humming a song. Heat pooled and everything melted away except for what Kurt was doing with his mouth.

Within a few moments he was coming into Kurt’s mouth. As Kurt pulled back up, he wiped his mouth and smirked at Sebastian.

“That wasn’t long,” Kurt said. He settled himself on Sebastian’s lap.

“And? I should return the favor now, no?” Sebastian leaned up and found Kurt’s lips. He groaned at the taste of himself on Kurt’s lips and pulled him closer for more. His hips bucked against Kurt, eliciting a moan.

“Fuck me, my prince,” Kurt said. He bit Sebastian’s lip.

A loud knock on the door caused both to groan.

“What now?” Sebastian asked.

“The Prince’s Mistress is needed with his sister. She has a complaint about her wedding dress,” the man beyond the door said. 

“Tell my sister that I will be down when I’m done,” Kurt said. When there was no response, he turned back to Sebastian. Sebastian noticed a sort of longing look in Kurt’s eyes; it seemed to Sebastian that anymore he always looked sad at least partially.

“The Prince’s Mistress,” Sebastian said. He smirked. “I like the sound of that.”

Kurt smacked his hands against Sebastian’s chest. 

“They think of me as a girl, Sebastian. Why won’t you rectify that?” Kurt asked. He crossed his arms and pouted for a moment before reaching over to find a chocolate on the plate he’d had brought in earlier. He popped a chocolate into his mouth and continued pouting.

“Well, I would tell them you certainly aren’t a girl, but I’m afraid most seem to believe your voice gives away your station,” Sebastian said. He yelped when Kurt smacked him again. 

“I am not a girl.”

Sebastian smirked and ran his hands across Kurt’s legs until he met at his destination. Kurt gasped as Sebastian began to move his hand back and forth slowly on his growing erection. “No, you most certainly are not a girl.” He let go of Kurt and reached up, taking Kurt’s lips once more. He massaged his lips against Kurt’s, sighing as he began to lean more into the kiss.

When they pulled away, Sebastian leaned his head against Kurt’s and said, “I promise to encourage them to stop referring to you as thus. I’m not sure how much it will help, but I will try.”

Kurt’s eyes were hooded, and he continued to run his hand up and down Sebastian’s chest. “I want you to know that no matter what happens I do care for you, Sebastian.”

“What’s this about?” Sebastian asked.

“I love you,” Kurt said. He bit his lip and glance into Sebastian’s green eyes, Kurt’s eyes that mix of blue and grey. “I love you.”

Sebastian steeled himself and pulled away. He hated that word. Though he knew that Kurt shared much of the same feelings he had, they’d had a sort of nonverbal agreement not to use those words. It only brought too much pain; Sebastian looked to the situation between Edward and Princess Sophie for knowledge on that. Edward had said, “I love you,” to her, told William that he wanted to marry her, and William refused. Simple as that.

Love only hurt people, and Sebastian didn’t want to hear that. He pushed Kurt off of him and moved to collect his clothes.

“Your sister needs you,” Sebastian said. He blinked away tears that threatened to fall and turned to look at Kurt, who looked a mix between love and hatred at him.

“I need you,” Kurt said. “Anaïs can wait. We need to—”

“There’s nothing to discuss. Go to your sister. I have business to attend to.” Sebastian picked up the fallen parchment from earlier and left the room.

Sebastian made it about halfway down the staircase before he turned to look back up. He sighed and tilted his head back.

The battle that was not a true battle had ended with him gaining an injury on his shoulder and Kurt moving into the palace. They never talked about the letter Sebastian sent. As much as it pained Sebastian to admit, he knew he had come to care for Kurt quickly. Part of him wanted to let Kurt go and return to his previous days of fucking all the squires and knights he could, but part of him at least couldn’t let go of Kurt.

Kurt had become an integral part of him, and that caused Sebastian to stop in his tracks more often than not.

It scared Sebastian to know that another besides his family held this much power over him, and he’d just hurt him in one of the worst ways possible. Though Kurt and he had started out as a one-night thing, he knew Kurt well enough to know that Kurt hated those things. He so wanted romance and poetry and seduction that whenever Sebastian actually did those things, Kurt would light up in the most unimaginable ways.

Then Sebastian did things like this and left him to deal with himself.

Sighing, Sebastian sat on the steps of the staircase and clenched his fist. He pounded said fist a couple of times into the step he sat on before relaxing against them. Eyes clenched shut before he finally opened them.

He cared for Kurt, and he had to come to terms with that.


	14. Convenience

Edward stared at his wife as she slammed clothes into one of the suitcases she’d brought when she first arrived. As beautiful as Elinor was, Edward wanted Sophie at his side. His heart ached to think of how she had to stand with her family—who oddly enough still wanted to marry Alfonso to Cecily whenever they found her—as he said his vows to Elinor.

“Well, aren’t you going to help?” Elinor asked. She turned towards him, her hands on her hips.

“It’s your clothes,” Edward replied. He rolled his eyes. “Pack them yourself.”

“Well, you’re a right gentleman,” Elinor said. She slammed another dress into the suitcase. “It’s as if ever since you went after that camp you’ve turned into something else entirely.”

Edward clenched his fist. He glared at his wife. “You should learn not to speak to me like that.”

“Or what? You’ll teach me just what kind of man you are?” Elinor scoffed. “Please, you’re nothing like your father.”

“Well, you should be ashamed of yourself for what you’ve done!” Edward stood from his spot. “For what you did with him.”

“You just wish I was your precious Sophie,” Elinor said. She crossed her arms over her chest. “I see the way you looked at her. At our own wedding, too! You didn’t even have the decency to put your love for her aside!”

“Maybe I wish you were her right now! At least she would understand what I’m feeling!” Edward stepped close. “At least I never slept with my sister.”

Elinor gasped. She stepped back, her arms falling to her sides. She staggered back and forth before pushing herself back onto her bed.

Edward watched, and his eyes softened. He sighed, his shoulders dropping. Edward started stepping forward to comfort her when he stopped and sat back down in the chair he’d been setting in.

“It’s true though, isn’t it?” Elinor swiped a hand across her face; she’d been crying. “You want that girl from Suyid.”

Edward sighed. “Sophie. Her name is Sophie. And you want your brother, Robert.”

Elinor sighed and wiped her face again. She looked up at the ceiling before looking back at Edward. 

“How can you even say that?”

“Because it’s true, isn’t it?” Edward laughed before biting his lip. “Of course my father would marry me to someone like you.”

“Excuse me?”

Edward glared at her. “How can you even look at yourself?”

Elinor jumped up from the bed. “You know nothing of the heartache I’ve been through!”

“And you know nothing of my heartache!”

Elinor stared with wide eyes. Her head bent low.

Edward sighed. He rubbed a hand on his forehead and wondered how it’d gotten to this. Not even this far into his marriage, and he was already fighting with her. Part of Edward wanted this marriage to work, and he knew that his father would kill him if he didn’t at least attempt to appease his wife.

Then again, William was known throughout the court for his mistresses.

Edward closed his eyes and leaned back. He sighed and said, “I am sorry for my words.”

“What do you want, Edward?”

Edward looked up. He replied, “I want my sister home.” He thought of all the blood he’d incurred onto his hands from him attempting to save her; a part of him died each time he put a rebel onto the rack to get information on the rebels.

“Besides that.” Elinor stepped closer, pulling Edward’s hands into her own. She rubbed her thumb back and forth in a soothing manner.

After a moment, Edward said, “Her.”

Stricken, Elinor nodded. She dropped her hands. “I see.”

“And you want Robert.”

Smirking, Elinor let out a bitter laugh. “It’s not Robert I had.”

“What?”

Elinor sat down beside Edward. She looked at her lap. “My true love. He was not my brother as everyone assumes. My Robert and I are close, yes, but never more than as siblings should be. The gods would never allow such a union. The man that I truly loved… he is the father of my child.”

Edward’s eyes widened. He’d known Elinor wasn’t a maiden when they’d married, the bedding ceremony had been truth to that, but he didn’t know that she’d had a child before marrying him.

“Your child?”

Elinor smiled. “The man I loved,” she looked at Edward, “was a friend of my brother. He was a duke back at home, and despite the lower stature I still came to love him. He and I began to come together in times when others weren’t around, and before I knew it I was pregnant. My father ensured he would never love again by sentencing him to a mutilation and sent me to a temple for the fertility goddess.”

“You were sent into hiding,” Edward said. He grasped her hand tightly.

“I gave birth to a beautiful girl, and before I could even get to know her, she was taken from me by the priestesses.” Elinor blinked away tears and looked away. She squeezed his hand. “By the time I returned to my father’s care, rumors were abound of my lying with Robert. Despite what I would say, my father’s adversaries continued to spread those lies throughout my father’s court in an attempt to bring him down from his stature.” 

Elinor’s father was the head of their religion, voted on by his peers. Thus, Elinor and her brother were some of the most influential people in their world, and people were constantly looking for ways to bring them all down.

“I’m so sorry,” Edward said. He thought of Cecily and all that could be happening to her and breathed deeply. A tear fell down his cheek.

“It is not your fault,” Elinor said. She smiled thinly. “We have both been the subject of our parents. Both wanting what we can never have.”

“A marriage meant to be,” Edward replied. He grinned at Elinor. The two laughed loudly.

When Elinor calmed down, she stared at Edward before leaning forward. She softly pressed her lips to his and moved closer.

She pulled away and whispered, “Perhaps we can be a comfort to each other.”

Edward watched her for a moment before pulling her into his lap. She tugged at the strings of her dress as they continued kissing.

“Are you sure?” Edward asked as he pulled back. His hands rubbed back and forth softly on her hips.

“You require a son, and you are comforting me. Yes, I’m sure,” Elinor replied. She pulled at his doublet before lifting up enough to pull at his breeches.

They moved in unison. Hands roved over skin. Lips pressed against lips. Groans elicited. Moans escaped, and they came to understand one another in a better way afterward.


	15. Flower

_ “Look like the innocent flower, but be the serpent under't” _ \-- Lady Macbeth,  _ Macbeth _ (I, 5)

 

It’d been a year. Over a year, if Cecily thought hard enough. She looked at the grey sky and wondered how she’d survived this far.

Her hands stilled at the embroidery she’d been working on for Lucretia’s child. She looked over at Lucretia who was holding her son while speaking with Sybil. From the time she’d been here, Cecily had come to help Lucretia learn about how it was okay to love who she loved. In a way, Cecily had helped Sybil and Lucretia’s relationship. She smiled at that thought. At least it was one plus being here.

“It has been a year,” Sybil said. “He will not touch you.”

She rubbed a hand up and down Lucretia’s back and smiled at the baby. She waved at him before staring back at Lucretia. “I won’t let that happen.”

Lucretia blinked a tear away and looked at Raoul. Cecily followed their gaze and gulped. He continued staring at Cecily from his perch with the other rebel men. Even from this distance, Cecily could feel exactly what he was thinking. Her jaw shook as she thought of what he’d done the last time.

He’d almost taken her honor.

She forced her tears away and glared back at him. She would not let him try again. Frowning, she pulled the needle through the fabric harshly and groaned at the prick in her finger.

“He’s looking at me,” Cecily whispered. Her hands began shaking and she dropped the needle from her grasp. “He will come for me tonight.”

Sybil turned towards Cecily, her eyes shining with tears. Over the year, the two had come to understand each other much better. Both learned of their mutual hate for Raoul and both learned to like one another.

“I won’t let you be hurt by his ways either,” Sybil said. “I may believe in this rebellion, but I don’t agree with Raoul’s methods. If he takes another princess under my watch, I will kill him before he has a chance to see it coming.”

“He will ask for me tonight,” Cecily said. Tears fell down her eyes. “I’m not strong enough to hold him off. I almost couldn’t last time.”

“You don’t have to be strong enough. You just need an opportunity to strike him when he’s not expecting. It’s no different than in battle.” Sybil motioned for Cecily to move closer. Upon moving closer, Sybil slid a thin knife into her hand. Placing the hilt into Cecily’s hand, she closed Cecily’s hand around it. “If he tries anything, you slam this blade into him and watch him bleed to death.”

“I—I don’t know if I can do this,” Cecily said. She watched her shaking hand around the blade and slid her sleeve down to cover the silver blade.

“You can. You will.” Sybil grasped Cecily’s face and smiled. “You are strong, Cecily Smythe. You are every bit capable of doing this as Lucretia or myself.”

Sybil dropped her hands and nodded. She stood with Lucretia and walked off to their tent. Cecily stood up and walked to the one she shared with Tobyn. She wondered what it’d taken to ensure that they didn’t need cages anymore. She knew Tobyn had vouched for her. Had Sybil vouched for Lucretia?

She entered the tent and looked around. Noticing a thin string long enough to wrap around her thigh, Cecily pulled the dress up far enough. She fought the fabric and decided instead to set it against her inner calf. She sat the blade there and pulled the string around it enough times to keep it in place. She moved around the tent and smiled. It wouldn’t knick her leg while walking.

“Raoul has called for you,” Tobyn said. She turned to see him grasping the hilt of his sword tightly. His eyes focused on the ground, his dark locks covering any expression she might see.

“I figured,” she said. She brushed a tear away and straightened her shoulders. Her posture that of a princess. Cecily nodded.

He began to follow her out of the tent when Cecily stopped.

“If he tries anything,” she began.

“You will kill him and then me. I know,” he said.

“No,” Cecily said. She looked around and noticed no one. She lifted her dress and showed him the hidden knife. “I trust you to get me out of here should it come to this.”

“Cecily,” Tobyn breathed. His breath hitched and he shook his head. “You are asking me—”

“This rebellion was lost the moment Raoul raped Lucretia. You might have won me, but you know the men are staring at him with contempt. Even they know the repercussions of destroying a woman’s honor like that. Whatever revenge you wish to enact can happen even if you save me from here. Promise me, Tobyn,” Cecily said. She grasped Tobyn’s hand and squeezed. “Please.”

Tobyn said nothing but led her towards the tent. Opening the tent, Tobyn motioned for her to enter before sliding it shut.

“You asked to see me?” Cecily asked. She stared at Raoul and tightened her hands. The last time she’d been in here… she pushed those thoughts away.

“I haven’t asked for you in a year,” Raoul asked. He smirked. “How’s my favorite bastard doing?”

Cecily squeezed her eyes. She spat and shook her head. “Surviving. Why do you ask?”

“Sit,” Raoul said. He motioned to the chair that sat across his at his table. She tentatively settled into said seat.

She crossed her leg and felt the cool blade against her skin. It wouldn’t take much for her to reach down and grasp it if he tried anything.

“You have certainly grown more beautiful once out of those princess garbs,” Raoul said. He stood and moved behind her. He placed his hands on her shoulders. She bit her lip to keep from yelling.

“I much prefer my princess garbs to these itchy clothes,” Cecily replied. She looked over her shoulder and shrugged him away. “But then again you wouldn’t understand.”

Raoul laughed and came to stand in front of her as much as he could. She pushed herself up in the chair, hoping she disappeared into it. He placed a hand on her leg and slowly started moving up.

“Don’t,” Cecily warned.

“But I need it, Cecily. You’ll want it eventually,” Raoul said. He continued moving his hand.

“No,” Cecily said. She closed her eyes. He’d reached her thigh; he wouldn’t stop.

“You’re not fighting now,” he said. “Good.”

“On the contrary, I’m merely showing my cards now,” Cecily replied. She grasped his hand, glared at him, and grabbed the knife from her leg. Jerking it from the strap, she moved. The blade slid across his throat as easy as gaining a paper cut. He gurgled on the blood and moved to grasp his throat. He tried to speak, but only gurgles escaped. His eyes widened as he fought the blood he was choking on.

Standing, Cecily grasped the knife and slammed it into his stomach. All thought left, and she let all her anger out with every stab. Faintly, she could hear herself screaming, but otherwise she was in a different place.

Finally, Cecily looked up to see his wide eyes and blood seeping out of his wide mouth.

“Cecily!” Tobyn yelled.

She dropped the knife and looked at her bloodstained hands. “My hands… they are covered with so much blood,” she whispered.

“Let’s go, now!” Tobyn grasped her and pulled her up.

“I did it,” she said.

“Yes, and you let yourself be known to the guards. We need to leave, now,” he said. He picked her up and pushed through the other side of the tent. She could see men entering the tent and wondered if she’d be killed sooner or later.

Tobyn continued running with her in his arms through the woods until she could see no trace of the tents.

It was then that she realized what she’d done.

“I killed him,” she said. The blood caking her hands had dried and cracked every time she moved her hands. “And… you chose to save me.”

“Yes, you did,” Tobyn said. He glanced at her before continuing ahead. “We’ve got to move north or we’ll hit more rebels. We’ll go to Nesolia. I’ll have a friend who will take a boat down the coast so we can walk back to Avarencia.”

“I saved myself,” she said. “I did it.”

Smiling, she realized she’d done it. She’d saved herself.

Later, when she thought over what Tobyn had said, she couldn’t understand why they’d decided to go north.

“Why?” she asked in the night. They’d settled on the forest floor next to one another. “Why north?”

“Because otherwise we will meet another rebel group. They will know you killed Raoul and they will kill us both where we stand. If not that, then we’ll meet one of the men from your kingdom who will kill me for kidnapping you in the first place.”

“We’re right there,” Cecily said. She leaned up and looked at him. “We can go to Avarencia. You will be fine.”

“No, I won’t. I am a rebel, Princess. I’d save you, and in the process kill myself. I’m sorry, but I won’t risk my life that way for you.”

“You already are!” Cecily scoffed. “You’ve already risked your life like this. How can you not see that you’d be hailed a hero for my rescue.”

“Leave it, Princess, or we can go back to our camp and you can be executed for Raoul’s death.”

Sighing, Cecily settled onto the ground.

“At least tell me why you want revenge.”

“No,” he replied. “That will only serve to give you more reason to pity me. I don’t need your pity.”

Cecily rolled her eyes. “You realize we will die before we make it to Nesolia. It’s still about a year’s walk from here more than likely, and that’s without taking the Kingsroad. Then, if we do make it, we’ll have the cold to deal with. I’m not dressed to deal with that.”

“I’ll take care of it.” Tobyn rolled over. “I’ll get you home, Princess, I promise.”


	16. Change

“And now, the dance between the newly married bride and groom!”

Sebastian searched all around for Kurt; he hadn’t spoken to him since he’d walked out on Kurt over a week ago, and now he wondered how well this avoiding would go when they were at a wedding for Anaïs and her poet from Tiavor.

Her family was not pleased with that.

The guests stepped back as Anaïs stepped in front of her husband, Francis Howard. Francis stood slightly above Anaïs, a red beard decorating his face along with auburn curly hair. His blue eyes stared at Anaïs with love as the music started.

Francis bowed and Anaïs curtsied. Francis reached his hand forward and waited for Anaïs to grasp it. She grasped his hand, her hands moving closer to his body with each beat. She released and turned to circle him, her dress billowing around her as she spun around. As the music sped up, she stepped close, her head nodding to the beat. Francis grinned, his feet moving back with the beats. He led her around the space with that same grin never leaving. His hands barely grasped her hips as they spun slowly around.

She pushed him forward, her eyes never leaving him.

As if silently communicating, he grasped her hips tightly and pulled her up, her legs wrapping tightly around his waist. He spun around just as slowly before Anaïs dropped back to the ground. Their arms extended, as they maneuvered around one another.

Francis spun Anaïs around until her back faced his front. Her arms extended up; he ran his hands down her body before he grasped her hips once more. He hoisted her up, holding her bridal style as he moved her around the space once more. He then let her down, her arms moving as she stepped away from him.

A few steps away, Anaïs turned around, her dark locks flipping as she turned. She took the few steps towards Francis and hopped up, wrapping her legs around him once more. They began moving in circles again, Anaïs relaxing her head back while softly grasping Francis’ neck. When she was set back on the floor, she bent back, moving in an arc before pulling back up. She stared into Francis’ eyes before holding her arm up for him to dip her towards the floor.

The song ended with the two looking at one another while the audience clapped.

Sebastian smirked. Someone was in for a hot night.

He searched the crowds once more for Kurt. Ever since that day he’d felt bad. Of course he wasn’t one to be able to respond to a proclaiming of love. 

Finally, Sebastian noticed him across the room. He could see Kurt’s gray eyes staring at Anaïs with a soft smile on his face before dropping it swiftly. He looked up and met Sebastian’s eyes.

“Go talk to him,” Edward said, stepping up to Sebastian. He sipped his goblet. “You need to learn to express yourself, Sebastian.”

“Why? So Father can hurt me too? Life’s easier without that.” Sebastian sighed. If he were truly honest with himself, he hated the fact that his father seemed to ruin everyone’s love life. He ruined Edward’s, his mother dealt with the man on a daily basis and only found love from her children, and he wouldn’t even save Cecily.

“Let yourself be happy for once,” Edward said. “I was wrong earlier when I said you shouldn’t be allowed happiness while Cecily’s not here. Kurt makes you happy. Talk to him.”

Nodding, Sebastian moved through the crowd and found Kurt. He grasped Kurt’s arm and asked, “Can we talk?”

“Why?” Kurt turned around. “You’re not ready to admit your feelings. I don’t need that in my life.”

“Please?” Sebastian asked. He looked at his feet. “I’d like to speak to you.”

Sighing, Kurt said, “Fine. Five minutes, Your Highness.”

Nodding, Kurt and Sebastian moved through the crowd until they made it out of the ballroom and into the bailey. They continued walking until they made it to the gardens and to the new gazebo put in. They entered and settled into it before Kurt turned to Sebastian.

His eyes shifted to blue and he raised an eyebrow. “Well, I’m waiting.”

“I shouldn’t have acted the way I did,” Sebastian said. He ran a hand through his hair, the outfit he had to wear for the wedding itching him immensely. He looked at the dark outfit and started pulling at it lightly. “It was wrong of me to leave so suddenly like that. I’m sorry.”

“You’re right. You shut me out when I said that I loved you,” Kurt said. His voice sounding pained, he continued, “After everything, I thought you’d want to hear that…”

“You’ve helped me so much, Kurt,” Sebastian said, “I just—”

“I know we’ve done things we regret, but I don’t regret meeting you,” Kurt said. “Maybe there’s a reason you shut me out… all I know is that I love you, and if you don’t want that then maybe we should end this now.”

Sebastian looked Kurt in the eyes. “I don’t want to end this.”

“Then tell me what you think of me, Sebastian,” Kurt said. He stared Sebastian in the eye.

“I—I can’t,” he replied.

“Then I’m done here,” Kurt said. He started to step from the gazebo when Sebastian stood.

“I love you,” Sebastian said. He looked away. “Damn it, Kurt…”

“You mean it?” Kurt asked. He turned towards him, his eyes glistening with tears. “You love me?”

“Yes,” Sebastian said. He grimaced. “And now everything will change.”

“No, no,” Kurt said. He grasped Sebastian’s hands. “No. I love you. You love me. No matter what happens I will always love you.”

“You mean it?” Sebastian asked.

“Yes,” Kurt said. He smiled through the tears. “And I hope you would do the same for me.”

“I would,” Sebastian said. He grasped Kurt’s face, wiping the tears. “I will love you no matter what.”

He leaned down and pressed his lips to Kurt’s. He could feel Kurt smile through the kiss as he wrapped his arms around Sebastian’s neck. The smell of the flowers mixed with Kurt’s special scent filled Sebastian’s nose, and he pulled Kurt closer. A cool breeze blew through the gazebo, but they paid no heed as they continued moving their lips against one another.

Sebastian wasn’t sure where things would go from here, but he knew having Kurt by his side would make all things right.


	17. Prince

“Hail Avarencia!” Elinor smiled and clapped with the other patrons in the stands. Edward looked at her before looking back at Sebastian as he rode to ask someone for his or her favor.

“Most say he’ll ask for the prince’s favor,” Elinor said. She looked at Edward. Edward stared into her hazel eyes, an eyebrow raised.

Since that night when they’d fought, the two had come to an agreement of sorts. They would be friends who sometimes had to sleep together and a comfort from court life. Since living in Avarencia for the past two years, and being married to Edward for most of it, Edward had seen her shift from someone attempting to please him, to the cold woman he’d married, to one who’d relaxed enough to enjoy life now. She missed her daughter, Edward could tell, but she was trying to move on.

“I think you’re confused,” Edward said. “Kurt’s not a prince. He’s only a noble.”

“Not according to those I’ve spoken to,” Elinor said. She smiled at Sebastian as he rode past her to ask one of the queen’s ladies in waiting for her favor. Edward looked at Kurt who stared enviously at the lady with his hands clasped in his lap and his bottom lip between his teeth.

“What do you mean?” Edward turned back to Elinor.

“Those at court whisper of Mister Kurt Hummel’s true parentage,” Elinor said. She winked at Edward. “According to the others, Mister Hummel is actually the Lost Prince.”

Edward laughed. That wasn’t possible. The Lost Prince hadn’t been heard of since he disappeared with his mother; if Kurt was the Lost Prince then why wasn’t he trying to reclaim his rightful throne? He looked back at Kurt, his laugh sobering. He frowned and looked closely at him.

“It makes sense,” Elinor said. “He does have that typical Powell look. From when my brother met with the Tiavor monarch, I know that he looks a lot like Tiavor’s princess, Isabella.”

“That’s not possible,” Edward said. He shook his head. Their conversation quieted as Sebastian’s horse took the position at the one end, his opponent on the other. Sebastian slid his visor in place and placed the lance in place. The flag flew, and the horses took off.

Sebastian’s lance hit the opponent, and the opponent flew back on the horse. Sebastian finished riding down the line before he turned to honor the king.

“Avarencia!” Elinor and others yelled. They quieted down and Elinor turned back to Edward.

“It’s not possible,” Edward said. “Kurt is not the Lost Prince. He doesn’t even look like a prince.”

“Considering the fact that he hasn’t been brought up to be a king, I doubt he would look like a prince,” Elinor replied. “Kings and princes are only given their immortality by the people. If you haven’t been seen by your people, you won’t have that immortality.”

“What do you mean?” Edward asked.

Elinor sighed. “He hasn’t been given the powers of a prince or a king. He’s only a man now because of him being lost to the people. It’s why you don’t see him as a prince.”

Edward looked back at Kurt before standing. He held his hand for Elinor to follow him down the stands. As they made it down, he walked over to the edge where Kurt was sitting.

“You and I need to speak later,” Edward said. “Alone.”

Kurt raised an eyebrow, his eyes widening. Edward could see the wonder and fear in his eyes and wondered what had Kurt paranoid. He’d get to the bottom of it later.

“Why would you need to speak to me?” Kurt asked.

“Because I want to speak to you,” Edward said. “I need a reason to speak to my brother’s bedmate?”

“N—no,” Kurt replied. “Will you send for me?”

“I will send my servant for you later,” Edward said. “If Sebastian asks, don’t let him know.”

“Why?” Kurt asked. “Will he be angry?”

“No. This merely has nothing to do with him.” Edward turned, Elinor’s hand in his. “Good day, Mister Hummel.”

 

The room was dark. A single candle with wax dripping onto the table beneath it lit up, its flames licking Edward’s face. He swirled the ale in his goblet around before gulping it down. He’d just sent his servant to fetch Kurt and now he waited.

“Your Highness, Mister Kurt Hummel,” the servant said. Kurt entered behind him, his hands wringing in front of him.

“Thank you,” Edward said. The servant bowed before leaving the room. “Have a seat.”

“I’d prefer to stand,” Kurt said. “Your Highness.”

“You and my brother have been together for over two years now,” Edward said. He poured himself more ale and drank some. “I don’t know anything about you.”

“You’ve never asked, Your Highness,” Kurt said, his voice biting. He bowed his head. “Forgive me, but I fear that I’ve spoken ill towards you.”

“No, please don’t apologize.” Edward smiled and moved around to stand in front of Kurt. His smile grew. “Tell me about yourself. If you make my brother happy, I should know about you, right?”

“Of course,” Kurt said. He laughed lightly. “My mother died when I was young. About eight. The Lovells took me in, and I’ve grown in their household. I’m forever thankful for them.”

Edward nodded. He started to circle Kurt, his fingers drumming against his lips. He circled once, twice, and again before he stopped in front of Kurt once more.

“That’s it?” Edward asked. He laughed, his voice reverberating off the walls in the room. “Reads like a sham of a story in my eyes.”

“It’s the truth,” Kurt said. He looked up and frowned. “Why don’t you believe me?”

“Because I think you’re something else.” Edward began to circle once more. “Someone else.”

“I—I really don’t know what you’re saying,” Kurt said. “If I may, I’m sorry that I am not more help to you, Your Highness—”

Edward grasped Kurt’s arms and threw him against the door, his face inches from Kurt’s. “You’re lying! Now tell me the truth, or I will have you charged with high treason against the crown!”

“I—I’m so sorry!” Kurt gasped, his mouth hanging open. “I—I didn’t mean to…”

“So it’s true?” Edward asked. “You’re the Lost Prince.”

“What?” Kurt searched Edward’s eyes, his own beginning to tear up. He began shaking and looked away.

“Is it true?” Edward asked. He stepped closer, his finger pushing Kurt’s face up to stare at him again. “Is it?”

After a moment, Kurt nodded. He looked down, his body shaking. “Yes, I’m the Lost Prince.”

Edward breathed and let Kurt go. He stepped back until he could reach his chair once more. He slumped into it and stared incredulously at Kurt.

Kurt let more tears out before sliding down to the floor. He looked up at Edward and asked through tears, “What now?”

“Tell me the full story,” Edward said. “All of it.”

Kurt nodded and settled there on the floor. He opened his mouth and began speaking.

“The earliest memory I have is my mom shielding me in the woods. She would tell me stories of this prince who was meant to rule the world, but evil men took his throne from him.

“We moved throughout the woods and settled in small villages who didn’t know a prince from a lowborn and made our way away from the castle. It was in a small village on the border of Tiavor that my mother met a man who was a blacksmith named Burt Hummel. They married and I took his last name.

“When I was about seven, my mother began getting sick. She fought this illness for a year before she died. I was eight and all I had in this world was my stepfather. Within that same year my stepfather died from a broken heart.

“My stepfather gave me to the Lovells who’d been in close contact with him. They knew the whole story and agreed to act as my family. Since then the Lovells have taken care of me. I owe them everything.”

Kurt blinked more tears. “My throne was stolen from me because my uncle believed he could rule better than I could. He knew having a child king would not help Tiavor, and a rebellion was in the midst despite what my father tried to do. My mother knew that things would be too difficult, and my uncle Philip would one day take my head to secure his reign. It was inevitable.”

“So you’re using Sebastian? Is that it?” Edward asked. “Because I’ll have your head if you are.”

“No! No!” Kurt shook his head. “That’s why I never told him. He would think I was trying to use him and I could never have that.”

“But you are, aren’t you?” Edward stood and began to move towards Kurt, his hands balling into fists.

“I’m not even sure I want my throne. I haven’t been taught the ways of a king. I could never rule well. If you’re asking if I went after Sebastian to regain my throne, no, I never did. I went after Sebastian thinking that I finally had a chance to love someone who would meet me word-for-word, trial-for-trial. As different as we are, he and I are a lot alike. I loved that I could talk to him and have him be open about his own ideas…”

Kurt looked at his hands and let more tears fall. “Please, don’t tell him. He will never forgive me if he figures out.”

Edward sighed and reached a hand out. He helped Kurt to his feet. Kurt was in a very precarious situation, and Edward knew that the truth would come out eventually. Whether it was tomorrow or in years to come, it would come out. He feared the day when Sebastian figured out the truth.

“I will keep it from him, but I can’t promise that he won’t figure out. The court is already circulating these rumors. He will figure out one day.” Edward sighed. “I understand the reason you’ve kept it secret, but maybe it is best that you tell him. If he hears it from you, he may be more forgiving.”

“You’re right,” Kurt replied. “But I can’t tell him just yet. I just can’t.” He wiped his nose and asked in a shaking voice, “If Your Highness please, may I leave now? I’d much like to return to bed and sleep in comfort.”

Edward nodded and watched Kurt walk out the door. Once the door shut, a staggered breath left his mouth. He wiped his hands through his hair and wondered what was going to happen next.

This was bad. So, so bad.

It was only going to get worse.


	18. Traitor

It’d been an uneventful day for Edward. A day spent with the counsel discussing his ascension to the throne had left him wondering what they would do if he revealed how he hated that throne.

All that changed when one of the guards walked up to him and told him he was needed in the prisoners’ tower.

“What for?” Edward asked. He pulled at his doublet, wishing he could relax for the day in his chamber.

The guard shrugged. “I was told to send His Highness that way. Something about a traitor possibly having information about Cecily.”

“Are you positive?” Edward asked.

“I’m not sure, Your Highness,” the guard replied.

“Thank you,” Edward said. He practically ran across the bailey to the prisoners’ tower. He walked in with the guard showing him the way. He was led to the spiral staircase and began climbing. They were on the floor where the rack and other torture devices were when they began walking down it.

The tower was dank and smelled of piss, blood, and manure. Edward wanted to cover his nose but he knew there was no use. Nothing could block this smell out.

He passed the room with the rack and noticed a man upon it, the guards working the cranks to pull the man’s body in four directions. Part of him wanted to help the poor man whose screams echoed through the floor. The other part of him knew what that man had done to warrant this treatment.

“Do you ever get used to the screams?” Edward asked.

“Eventually,” the guard said. “Some even come to enjoy it.”

Edward didn’t want to know how they came to enjoy it. He shuddered at the thought of it. They continued down the hallway until they came to a door surrounded by two guards. The guards had been lounging as Edward approached, though once they noticed him they stood straight up as if they hadn’t been relaxing on the job.

“Why have I been called here today?” Edward asked. “Has another traitor succumbed to the torture?”

“No, Your Highness,” a guard said.

“This prisoner wants to talk,” the other guard said. He looked at Edward, his back straight and face firm. “Only to His Highness.”

“It’s been three years,” Edward replied. He looked at the different guards, his eyes inquiring. “Why now?”

The guard shrugged his shoulders and moved to open the door. “Perhaps he has had enough torture.” The guard opened the door, flooding the hallway with the light from the single window in the chamber.

Edward walked in, his hand upon his sword just in case. The room was bare save for a single bed in a corner. He could feel his skin crawling just standing in there. These rooms were filled with blood and horror, and to think about it caused Edward to wish anything but this on his enemies.

Then he remembered they took Cecily, and he pushed it aside.

He searched the room and found the prisoner crouched in a corner, his chemise hanging off his rail-thin body. He rocked back and forth, his hands scratching at the dirt on his arms and legs.

“You said you were ready to confess?” Edward asked. The door clicked shut behind him and they were alone. “Why now?”

The prisoner’s head ticked as he moved to stare at Edward. Edward could see the bloodshot eyes even from where he stood.

He began laughing. He stood, his head bent as he stared wide-eyed at Edward. He started to move closer to Edward before he stopped a few feet from him. 

“Because,” the man rasped, “you’ve already lost.” He cricked his head to the other side, eyes still wide. “This war is won for the rebels and you can’t see it.”

“And why do you say that?” Edward asked. He crossed his hands across his chest in wait.

The prisoner ignored Edward. “You have a traitor in your midst,” the prisoner laughed louder, “and you haven’t figured out in over the three years I’ve been in here.”

“How do you know?” Edward asked. He raised an eyebrow and stepped closer.

The prisoner crossed the room and sat upon the bed. He crossed his legs and leaned back. He looked at Edward with disdain in his eyes. “Our leader was very secretive, but he also told us much. Like how there’s a princely presence in your midst. And how that very prince is your own betrayal.”

Edward raised an eyebrow. He thought of Kurt and the truth he’d bestowed about a year ago. Could it be? No…

He thought back to the first time Kurt appeared. The night Cecily was kidnapped.

Edward narrowed his eyes. “What do you mean?”

The prisoner chuckled and began muttering, “The end has come. The monarchy will fall. All will be well soon. Your end has come.” He said it over and over again.

Edward gritted his teeth and grabbed the hilt of the sword tighter. He wanted so badly to run this sword through this prisoner. He was getting nowhere.

“Who is this prince?” Edward stepped closer. “Tell me!”

The prisoner glared at him and continued muttering.

“Tell me!”

“The end has come. The monarchy will fall. All will be well soon. Your end has come.”

His teeth gritted even more. “Is it Kurt? Is it the Lost Prince? Tell me!”

“The end has come. The monarchy will fall. All will be well soon. Your end has come.”

“Tell me you traitor!” Edward could feel his blood rising. He would kill this man if he didn’t answer him.

The prisoner stopped muttering finally, his eyes trained on Edward. He leaned forward, his head cocked. He giggled to himself. “You have a traitor in your midst, and you can’t even see it. The monarchy shall fall. The prince shall have his throne back. You shall die before his very feet.”

Edward reached forward and grabbed the prisoner. He pushed the man against a wall, his arm pushing against the man’s throat. “Tell me!”

“Your Lost Prince was never truly lost,” the man finally said. “You’ve just never looked for him.”


	19. Blinded

His mind jumbled all of his thoughts together. He couldn’t make one thing from the other, and by the time he reached his chamber, Edward had no idea what he’d just learned.

Sighing, he settled onto the bed and breathed slowly in.

The prisoner was lying. He had to have been.

But then how did he know about Kurt?

Edward gripped his face in his hands and groaned loudly.

It didn’t make sense.

But, then again, it did. Edward looked up.

“He first appeared the night Cecily disappeared,” Edward said, “and he said his mother took him the same day the rebellion broke out. What if she joined the rebellion?”

Edward shook his head. He stood up, walking back and forth while speaking to himself. “That wouldn’t make sense though. Why would she fight with the very people hoping to bring the monarchy down and rebuild it?”

He blinked rapidly. “He went after Sebastian, not Cecily. Why would he still be here then?”

Edward stopped after a moment, his eyes widening. “By gods, the fool was right…”

He fixed his clothing and ran out of his chamber. He was almost to the stairs when he realized how odd it would be to see him running like this. He slowed and walked down the stairs normal-speed. He made it to the ground floor and began walking to his mother’s solarium when Sebastian cut him off.

“Edward, I was wondering if we might speak later? I’ve been wanting to ask you a few things,” he said.

Edward stared at Sebastian. How could he be so fooled? How could any of them have been so blind?

He looked over Sebastian’s shoulder and noticed Kurt staring at him from down the hallway. He stared with his eyes narrowed and his arms crossed over his chest. Beside him stood Anaïs, who was beginning to show her pregnancy. Her eyes moved from Kurt to Edward and then back again. Even from here, Edward could see her mind working to figure out what was going on.

Did she know the truth?

Of course she did.

How could he of all people have been so blind to their betrayal?

Edward began shaking his head, but instead he turned back to Sebastian.

“Well?”

“Actually, I’d like to speak to you now. Alone.” Edward smiled and hoped he was convincing enough. “Please?”

“Kurt and I were going with Anaïs to visit,” Sebastian said. “Another time?”

“No, now,” Edward said. His eyes pleaded with Sebastian. “Please.”

After a moment Sebastian nodded. He looked back at Kurt and mouthed that he’d be back soon. He let Edward escort him into an empty room in the castle (save the guards).

Once the door was shut, Edward turned to Sebastian. Sebastian stood there, his arms crossed and an eyebrow raised. A lazy grin spread.

“Yes, Brother?” he asked.

“How much do you know about Kurt and the Lovells?” Edward asked. “Be honest.”

Drawing his eyebrows together, Sebastian shrugged. “Enough, why?”

“Because Kurt isn’t who he says he is,” Edward said. “I was interrogating a prisoner—”

“You mean torturing,” Sebastian jumped in.

“Interrogating a prisoner, and he had something interesting to say,” Edward continued nonetheless. He stopped and looked at the wall beyond Sebastian. Could he tell Sebastian? Telling Sebastian could destroy him… He’d only just found love and now this revelation was happening.

Edward was taking Sebastian’s true love from him, as William had done him all those years ago.

Gulping, Edward stepped close. “Sebastian, you know I would do anything to protect you and Cecily, right?”

“You’re acting weird,” Sebastian said.

“You, Cecily, Elinor, Jasper, and Lady Mother are my only family,” Edward said. “No matter what I say, you have to promise that all will be right with us. Please.”

“Of course. What’s this about?” Sebastian asked. “What’s got you so twisted, Brother?”

“The prisoner, in a series of crazed sentences said something peculiar… Have you ever wondered about Kurt’s past?” Edward asked.

“There’s not much to it. He’s lived most of his life with the Lovells. Why are you asking so much about Kurt?” Sebastian asked.

“Because I think he helped in Cecily’s kidnapping,” Edward said. “Not only that, but I spoke with him about a year ago about his familial ties with the throne of Tiavor, and I think it’s very possible that he helped in Cecily’s kidnapping.”

Time froze, and Sebastian stared at Edward with death in his eyes. His jaw firm, his hands at his side, Sebastian looked every bit of angry as he could get without yelling.

Edward worried breathing would ensure his death; he held his breath until he couldn’t hold it anymore and let it out.

“You are wrong,” Sebastian whispered, his body beginning to shake with anger. “You are just jealous!”

“I am not! Why would I be jealous?” Edward asked.

“Because I have my soul mate by my side and you’re stuck with a barren, incestuous whore whose daughter was given away!” Sebastian huffed. “You have no idea what you’re even talking about. Kurt’s the only one who ever understood me. He was the only one there for me when I needed my family the most; he most certainly isn’t someone to help the rebels.”

“Are you sure about that?” Edward asked. “Absolutely certain?”

Sebastian stepped close, a breath apart from Edward. He breathed deeply and said in a dark voice, “If he’s guilty, I’ll throw him in the cell myself.” He pushed Edward out of his way and walked out of the room, leaving Edward to wonder what he just did.

The one person who needed to know, and he wouldn’t listen. Edward shook his head, a bitter laugh escaping. Was this his luck that Sebastian wouldn’t listen? That he’d be stuck listening to him say that Kurt was there for him when he wasn’t? Edward blinked back tears and before he knew it, his fist was striking the nearest wall. He groaned and pulled his hand away. He tried moving his fingers but they ached too much to even contemplate using them.

Who else could he turn to for help in this time of need, though? Sebastian wasn’t listening, and he hadn’t spoken to his father on his own since he’d refused to help them find Cecily. He’d speak with Jasper, but a bastard son wasn’t going to help him right now. Not only that, but Jasper was apt to take Kurt’s head off where he stood for aiding in Cecily’s kidnapping.

Gods only knew what had happened to Cecily.

Edward groaned and gripped his hurt hand.

Then he knew whom he was to speak with.

Margery.

He left the room and walked the rest of the way to his mother’s chamber. Once inside, Edward took in his mother stitching needlework into a cloth. She looked up and upon noticing her son’s distressed face placed the cloth aside. She stood and walked over to him. Taking his hands into her own, she asked, “What is wrong?”

“Kurt… he’s working with the rebels,” Edward said.

Sighing, Margery dropped her hands to bring her hands to his face. “You’ve finally figured it out.”

“You knew?” Edward asked.

“I had my suspicions. I wasn’t entirely sure, but certain times he reminded me too much of his mother Elisabeth for it to be a coincidence. Knowing there’s another who believes it makes my suspicions much stronger.” Margery said. “How did you figure out?”

Edward went through the whole story, starting back a year ago with the news of Kurt’s heritage. He then told her about the prisoner who spoke of the Lost Prince being in their presence.

Margery sat down in a chair in her room. She motioned for Edward to sit across from him. He took in her wrinkled face and nodded. It seemed like she’d aged so much these last three years.

“What do I do?” Edward asked. “I tried telling him, but he dismissed what I told him like it was nothing.”

Margery leaned forward. She said, “Sebastian will get there soon enough. He is blinded by his love for Kurt. That will change. All secrets come out.”

Edward nodded.

“In the meantime, we use our knowledge against him.”

“What?” Edward asked.

Margery stood and stared down at Edward with steel eyes. “When it comes time, I want you to use that prince to find my daughter. Whatever the costs.”


	20. Light

The cold whipped through Cecily’s clothes and left her body trembling with each step they took. They’d stopped and gotten warmer clothes the closer they got—she wasn’t entirely sure how Tobyn managed to get them but she had a feeling it might not have been through legal means—but those clothes weren’t helping now.

They’d made it to Nesolia.

Cecily took in the mounds and mounds of snow in front of her and the fires from a nearby village.

“I’d like to find a temple for the goddess of light,” she told Tobyn.

“There should be one soon,” he replied. “We’ll stop.”

“Thank you,” she said. “For everything.”

He didn’t reply, merely continued leading her towards the lights from the village in the distance. A particular gust of wind blew, and she could see him fighting the shivers like her. She grimaced. All this trouble he was going to for her, and she didn’t even know that much about him.

She decided not to say anything though. She wondered if he’d stop helping her if she made him realize that he was helping a stranger.

They walked a few more miles before they arrived at a temple. The temple was built high. To Cecily, it touched the sky itself with its magnificence. The silver bricks that circled an enclosed area open to the sky battled the cool breezes easily, and Cecily smiled at the sight of it.

“Nesolia is known for its temples,” she breathed. “Now I know why.” She stepped forward into the temple. She sighed at the fires going around the openings before she reached the open air of the enclosed area. Even though she was still shivering from the cold, Cecily felt her heart warming in the presence of such magnificence.

In the middle of the enclosed area was a statue of a feminine figure. The statue had wings for arms outstretched, though the statue itself looked as if it weren’t in flight.

Bowing, Cecily kissed the feet of the statue and closed her eyes. She clasped her hands in front of her and let a breath go before she began praying.

She prayed for the guidance to reach home safely. She prayed for Tobyn’s safety.

She prayed for Sebastian and Edward’s health and happiness along with Princess Lucretia, her baby, and Sybil’s health and happiness.

She prayed that Alfonso was also safe and healthy, even if he’d probably married someone else by now.

Finally, she prayed to the goddess of light that she showed Tobyn that vengeance wasn’t always the answer. No matter what happened, vengeance would not bring him peace. She prayed that the goddess of light would help Tobyn to accept what occurred and to move on.

She finished her prayer and stood, her eyes glistening with tears. She wiped them quickly before she turned to Tobyn. He’d been lounging on one of the walls the entire time.

“You didn’t pray?” Cecily asked.

“Why? I doubt any god or goddess will listen to what I ask. I’ve sinned plenty in my days,” Tobyn said. “Let’s move.”

Cecily nodded and brushed the snow from her knees. She said one last prayer to the goddess of light before they left to continue to the village in silence.

When they made it to the village, she asked Tobyn, “Where are we to go now?”

“We are to join that party,” Tobyn said. “They’re venturing east. There, we will take a boat down the coast to the shores near the Avarencia border and I will lead you home, Princess.”

“How do you know they’re going east?” Cecily asked.

Tobyn rolled his eyes. “Their clothes are of the Überain tradition. Can’t you tell?”

Cecily took the time to notice and after some time finally picked out the designs that differed from Nesolia to Überain. The typical neckline of the women’s dresses differed, and the men’s fashion of Überain seemed more to follow what Avarencia’s was than Nesolia or Tiavor.

She noticed one man with darker skin than most in Nesolia. Seeing that man reminded her of Alfonso, and she looked at her feet. Over the past three years she’d come to find great comfort in thinking of him or any of her family. Now, though, she wondered if he’d taken another to be his bride. It hurt to think he might have married someone else, though Cecily didn’t know why it did. It wasn’t like she loved him or anything. She barely knew him.

Maybe it was the fact that she’d come to think of him so often. That source of comfort had kept her sane. To think of him marrying another tarnished that comfort.

She sighed and nodded.

Tobyn walked over and spoke with the group. After a few moments he introduced her to them and told her they’d welcomed them into their traveling party. They would set out in the morning.

“Sounds great,” Cecily said. “It’s a pleasure to be traveling with you all.” She smiled thinly at them. After the group exchanged names with her, Tobyn escorted Cecily to a room they’d rented for the night.

That night as Cecily lay on the bed, she thought about Princess Lucretia. Had she, her child, and Sybil made it to safety? Were they still in the rebellion? How were things for them?

Cecily sighed and shifted on the bed. She blinked and tried to force herself to go to sleep, to no avail. She turned onto her other side and looked at the floor where Tobyn was sleeping with a sloppily made cot.

“Will you ever tell me why you want vengeance?” Cecily asked. She tucked her hand underneath her head and waited for Tobyn to answer.

“Will you ever stop asking me this question?” Tobyn asked after a long time. He shifted and glared at her.

“Not until you tell me the truth,” Cecily said. “I don’t know anything about you… don’t you want me to know something?”

“Leave it, Cecily,” Tobyn said. “It’s better this way.”

Sighing, Cecily rolled back over and closed her eyes. Her last thought before drifting off into the darkness of sleep was that it wasn’t better this way.


	21. Revelations

_ "Trust in those who offer you service, and in the end, my maidens, you will find yourself in the ranks of those who have been deceived." – Archduchess Margaret of Austria _

 

“Kurt?” Sebastian opened the door to Kurt’s chamber in the castle. He peered around but heard no sound. “Kurt?”

“My lord left earlier this day, Your Highness,” one guard said.

“Will he be gone long?” Sebastian asked.

“I believe he will return soon, Your Highness,” the guard replied.

“I’ll just wait on him them.” Sebastian closed the door behind him and settled into Kurt’s room. As he sat there, he thought about how long it seemed he and Kurt had had this thing going. Cecily had been gone for over four years now, and somehow he hadn’t tired of Kurt yet.

He knew he’d admitted his love for Kurt, but even so sometimes it scared him.

Sebastian stood after lounging on the bed for a few minutes. He walked over to the shelf that contained several books and began to run his fingers on the bindings of them. He’d just crouched to look at the bottom row when he noticed a piece of manuscript sticking out of one of the older leather-bound books. Eyebrow raised, he grasped the book and pulled it out. He flipped to where the piece of manuscript was sticking out. In between two pages sat a letter with a dark, broken wax seal. Sebastian picked it up.

He thought about putting it back in the book—he obviously wasn’t supposed to see it—but something told him to look at the letter.

“It’s probably something from Anaïs or someone,” Sebastian said to himself. He unfolded the letter until it sat fully open before him.

His eyes squinted once he started looking at the language of the letter. It was in some language he couldn’t decipher. Brain hurting, Sebastian began to fold it back up when he looked at the top of the page, where the name of the receiver should be. He looked at it the way he normally would and noticed at the end a flipped “K.”

“It’s mirrored,” Sebastian whispered. He looked around until he found a mirror and walked over to it. He held up the piece of paper and began reading in the mirror. In the back of his mind, Sebastian wanted to know why Kurt of all people had a letter written backwards.

The farther Sebastian read, the harder he grasped the manuscript between his hands. When he finished the letter that was signed, “Your Servant, Raoul,” Sebastian let the letter drop to the floor. He stared in the mirror with tears threatening to fall.

It’d all been a lie.

This Raoul character had sent Kurt here to trick him into bed. Trick him into loving him. All so they could steal Cecily away beneath their noses.

The door clicked open, and Sebastian looked up from the mirror to the door. He felt himself exhaling a breath he didn’t know he was holding as he stared at Kurt’s wide eyes.

“Bash,” Kurt whispered. Sebastian knew he could see the seal from the letter; he knew what letter he’d just read. “I can explain.”

Sebastian picked up the letter slowly and held it up in front of him. He felt all the love he’d felt for Kurt wash away. Only anger and numbness remained as he asked, “What is this?” in a cold, emotionless voice.

“It’s a letter,” Kurt said after gulping. “Sebastian, please, you don’t understand.” He moved away from the door, shutting it before the guards could rush in.

“From whom?” Sebastian asked. His hand shook as he began to crumple the letter in his hand.

Kurt held his hands in front of him in defense. “Bash, you’re acting irrational.”

Sebastian winced at the nickname Kurt had taken to calling him once they’d admitted their love for one another. “Don’t call me that!” Sebastian flung the letter at Kurt. “You know what that is!”

Kurt shook his head. “I can explain.”

“Really?” Sebastian began to stalk towards him. “Explain to me how this Raoul told you to be the good little lost prince and play your part. Tell me how this Raoul told you the exact date of my sister’s ball, and the exact time they would attack to kidnap her. Tell me how he knew you would be there to seduce me like some fool!” Sebastian had Kurt against the door now, his fist slamming into the door by Kurt’s head. He flinched at the sound and looked away.

“I—I,” Kurt gasped out.

“Answer me!” Sebastian huffed air, his eyes wide as he stared. When Kurt didn’t answer, he growled and shoved his arm against Kurt’s throat, pushing him tightly against the door. “You listen and you listen well. You will tell me everything, or I will kill you where you stand.”

“It’s true!” Kurt gasped out. “It’s true.” He began crying. He told the same story he told Edward those two years ago. He then began to add to it.

“My mother joined the rebellion. She thought that they would help regain me my throne. She met a man named Burt Hummel who was a blacksmith for the Lovell family, who all were involved in the rebellion. They fell in love, but my mom died when I was eight and my stepfather died soon after. I was left with the Lovells, but I grew up a part of this rebellion. When it came time for your sister’s ball, the rebellion’s leader Raoul decided it was time for me to be a part of this.

“That letter was to tell me my mission in this. I was to woo you, but only long enough to ensure that at least one Smythe brother wasn’t around while Cecily was stolen. We could take on Edward, but both of you together, and we would have lost.

“I wanted to leave, but then Anaïs began playing this role towards you and convinced me to stay. She said I could be happy here. I eventually let myself forget that I was a part of those who stole your sister. Please, Sebastian, I’m so sorry.” Kurt began sobbing. “I love you so much, and I know I’ve betrayed you, but everything I ever told you has been the truth. Please, Sebastian…”

Sebastian stepped back. His arm dropped to his side, and he felt like he’d just been sliced in half by a sword. This whole thing… it’d all been a lie. He looked into Kurt’s now blue eyes and shook his head. His heart broke into tiny pieces and was beating erratically against his chest. Any moment and he might collapse from the truth of it all.

“I trusted you,” Sebastian said finally.

Kurt reached for him, but Sebastian flung his arms away. “And you can still trust me,” Kurt said, even though he’d been pushed back to the door.

“How?” Sebastian chuckled bitterly. “You used me to steal my sister. For all I know she could be dead! You used me and my family like we were mere puppets for your master’s approval.”

Kurt blinked. “I never meant for this to happen between us. Please… I only wanted to continue the work my mother started so that I could one day rule as the gods intended. Everything changed the moment I fell for you though. You have to believe that.”

Sebastian shook his head, his laugh continuing. He was nothing more than a broken toy now. Broken bits that could never be repaired. He looked Kurt straight in the eye. “Why? You’re nothing more than a useless whore to me.”

Kurt breathed deeply. He stood, his fists at his side. “Don’t speak to me like that. I am a prince too.”

“I don’t care who you are, Lost Prince.” Sebastian felt all emotional connection leave him. He could feel himself mimicking his father, and he grinned maliciously. Good. Maybe Father would be proud. He pressed close to Kurt once more. He used his arm to cut Kurt’s air supply and began pushing him up off the ground.

Kurt’s choking noises met his ear, and he grinned even bigger. Leaning close to Kurt’s ear, he said, “You listen and you listen good. You will find my sister. You will point us in the right direction, and you will help bring her home. And then, you are to be charged with high treason and hanged, drawn, and quartered with the rest of that haggard family you used.”

Kurt gasped, and Sebastian released him. As he grasped his neck and drew deep breaths, he gasped out, “No! They don’t deserve that!”

Sebastian smirked, his eyes dead to Kurt. “They helped a traitor.”


	22. Lost

People seemed to notice the change in Sebastian quickly. As soon as he entered a room, people paid their respects before turning back to their business. His own father had noticed the change as well.

They stood in the throne room. William’s body was enshrouded in shadow from the light shining behind him. Sebastian looked up at him with zero emotion in his eyes. He’d become a shell of a human being now, only good for things such as killing and fucking. Sebastian had learned his place in this world. He wouldn’t soon forget it.

William coughed into a handkerchief as he took in Sebastian’s appearance. Sebastian could see his father’s skin paling with illness. He was not long for this world.

“So you learned the truth,” William said. He coughed more blood up. “Good,” more coughing, “there’s hope for you yet.”

His father was noticing him. He smirked and looked back at his brother, who stared wide-eyed at the two. He turned back to William. “I always knew you’d come to see me, Father.”

Sebastian bowed before William, a move that didn’t go unnoticed by Edward. Edward so wanted to scream at Sebastian to get his act together. Now was not the time to be letting William manipulate.

He started to say something when the medics arrived to bleed William. It seemed that he needed more bleedings anymore to keep moving. Edward wanted to ask if bleeding on top of the coughing of blood was really a good idea—wouldn’t bleeding on top of the coughing upset the humours more than needed?—but figured it was better to not ask.

“Your brother is headed down a dangerous path,” Elinor whispered next to him. She stared sympathetically towards him.

Kurt and his family had been taken to the dungeons where Edward had to go every day to get information on Cecily’s possible whereabouts. It hurt every time to see Kurt tortured, but then he pushed it aside for the traitor.

“Soon, you will learn all that I have been trying to teach you,” William said. He coughed more into the handkerchief. Sebastian nodded like a little child. He turned to look at Edward and dropped the giddiness. He started to walk out of the room, but stopped to glare at Edward and Elinor.

“Edward,” he said.

“Sebastian,” Edward replied. He inclined his head. “I see Father’s noticing you in this time of pain.”

Sebastian laughed. “What pain? I haven’t had this much good sex in a long time. I’m finally free of that wretched beast.” He sauntered off and pulled a knight with him, off to do gods only knew what. Alone with his father and wife, Edward motioned for Elinor to leave.

“I’m not leaving your side,” Elinor said. “Never.”

Nodding, Edward turned back to William. “I know what you’re doing.”

“And whatever is that, Edward?” William laughed sardonically.

“You’re baiting him. Sebastian has only ever wanted your approval, and now you’re giving it to him at a time when he is most vulnerable. You should be ashamed of yourself.” Edward looped his fingers between Elinor’s. “The last thing Sebastian needs is a lesson on just how cold his father could be. He got that enough throughout his life.”

William leaned forward in his chair, his crown beginning to fall off his head. “Perhaps you are merely jealous of your brother’s accomplishments. At least he learned the truth of love. It only hurts you.”

Edward scoffed. “That’s a truly pitiful insight on the world, Father, even for you.” He turned to leave. “If Sebastian changes because of you, I will kill you where you stand.”

William laughed and coughed. “You made that threat before, Edward. You never follow through with those threats, do you?”

Edward looked at Elinor before looking back at his father. “I will this time, I can assure you of that.”


	23. Pirates

The ship before her was enormous. Black flags with white skull and bones flew on said ship, and men ran around on top deck doing different jobs. Standing at the helm was who Cecily assumed to be the captain. He wore black leather all around and had a gangly beard and tattoos covering his body.

Cecily shivered.

“Welcome aboard, Lassy,” one pirate said. He tilted his hat toward her. She could feel men’s eyes leering and pulled her coat closer in hopes of escaping. “This here be one of the finest crews to sail the sea.”

“Thanks for allowing me to accompany you on this ship,” Cecily said. She turned and followed Tobyn to where he was speaking with the quartermaster. She saw the two shake hands and then she was led below deck. She settled into a room and looked around. The smell of the salt water made her nose tickle and she wondered how long until she reached home.

“You’ve been gone for six years,” Tobyn says after a moment. “I asked the quartermaster of what news he had of Avarencia but the only thing he knew was that the king is apparently dying.”

“My father’s dying?” Cecily couldn’t believe her ears. She’d been gone since she was seventeen. She made a note to actually take notice for once. For so long she’d feared looking in a mirror. Who knew who would be staring back? Cecily quickly ran a hand down her body and felt where she thought she’d possibly grown more—though the lack of good nourishment probably stunted a lot of her growth. She knew her monthly bleedings had been more infrequent since being kidnapped; thinking on it now made her realize just how much had changed—before she settled on the bed.

“Is this the captain’s quarters?” Cecily asked.

Instead of answering, Tobyn settled across from her and looked at his hands for a long time before finally looking up. “You asked me quite a few times about my need for revenge. I think it’s time I told you.”

Cecily couldn’t believe her ears. She quickly settled into her seat and got ready for a story, attentive as she could be with the boat rocking to and fro.

“There was a man whom I loved deeply. He was a noble of Tiavor, a duke of some land that I can’t even remember the name of. I had been a knight for his family. It’s how we came to know one another. 

“Gilbert… he was my sun. He knew me in ways I didn’t even know myself. We had been in the city the day the news broke. He and I had known for a while that something like Philip stealing the throne from Kurt would happen, but the response we hadn’t expected. Men, women, and children all gathered in the city square. They started yelling about the injustice of the monarchy. Guards tried to stop their remarks but someone threw a stone and then mayhem ensued. Gilbert and I, we pushed our way out of the rebellion breaking out and tried to get out of the city square. We were on our way back to his castle when guards surrounded us.

“They said that we were traitors against His Majesty King Philip Powell and we were taken to the tower.”

Tobyn stared at his hands with tears falling down his cheeks. Cecily wanted to reach over and hug him tightly but she feared that wasn’t the best response at this time.

“I can still hear his screams if I think hard enough. They hurt him in ways I can’t even imagine, and yet they let me go… I was released and that same day I watched my love given the traitor’s death when we didn’t deserve it. No trial, nothing. A mere decision on the king’s behalf, and my love was gone in front of me whereas I was left to deal with it.”

Tobyn shook his head. “So you see, Princess, I can’t agree with you on some things. I want nothing more than to see all monarchies burnt to the ground. Yet, I look at you and wonder what Gilbert would say to me kidnapping a poor child on her birthday, and I know I have to right at least this wrong. Then I can hope to one day see my Gilbert again.”

Cecily brushed tears from her face and smiled softly. She finally reached over and patted his hands. “Thank you for finally telling me the truth. I am sorry for what happened to your true love. The gods look down on that false king and have cursed him with a horrible rule. He is a bad king, an usurper. The gods did not want him on the throne. They wanted the Lost Prince.”

She brushed more tears away before she moved to sit beside Tobyn. She wiped tears from his face and smiled softly at him. She wrapped him in her arms and rocked back and forth.

“I do not fault you at all for your thoughts. Sometimes I’ve wished for changes to happen. The common people deserve someone better than they get sometimes. Unfortunately, the gods have not wished one better on the throne since Aelia Smythe, and I while I know my brother will make a fine king I fear the day my father will die. I don’t even know how bad our kingdom has fallen since I’ve been gone, but I can guarantee that any work my family has done to help the people, my father has undone most of it.”

Tobyn nodded. He wasn’t crying anymore, but he still sniffled nonetheless. “I loved him. I miss him so much.”

“I know, I know,” Cecily said. She continued holding him. “You have done right, Tobyn. You are a good man. Gilbert looks at you with pride.”

“But he would not want me to be a part of those who got him killed,” Tobyn said. “I had no choice though! They’re the only ones who would give me my revenge.”

“I’m sure Gilbert understands,” Cecily said. “Many people would understand your reasoning.” 

“But… that’s not all you should know,” Tobyn said after he calmed down. “The quartermaster, he told me of a new development in Avarencia.”

“What?” Cecily asked. She moved to stare at him.

“The rebels had a man on the inside to ensure that your brother was preoccupied with while we stole you… the quartermaster said that the people of Avarencia are in a riot because they’ve locked away the Lost Prince on charges of high treason.”

“Is it? The Lost Prince?” Cecily asked.

Tobyn closed his green eyes. “Raoul sent the Lost Prince, Kurt Powell, in to seduce your brother for one night. He wasn’t supposed to stay.”

Cecily’s arms dropped, and she stared ahead. She imagined what reason he would have for staying but found none. Unless the poor boy managed to fall in love with her brother, and he managed to feel the same for the Lost Prince.

Her hands were full and she hadn’t even made it home.


	24. King

_ “ _ _ Pale Death beats equally at the poor man's gate and at the palaces of kings.” -- Horace _

 

Margery ran into the hallway as fast as she could. Her yells echoed throughout the hallway. “The king! The king! Someone please help!”

Within moments everyone in the castle was gathering in the king’s bedroom. Several candles were lit, and the stench of death had many people holding their noses to keep the stench away.

The king went through his last will in front of everyone. He named Edward his successor and so forth. He never once mentioned Cecily.

The king passed soon after that with no last breaths wasted on telling his wife that he loved her. Edward held back a scoff at that.

Once people cleared out to give Margery a moment’s peace with her husband, Elinor took Edward aside.

“My lord and husband, I plead that you think about this kingship. Do you want it?” Elinor asked. Her eyes begged Edward to say no.

“It’s my birthright. I have to take it.”

“No, you don’t,” Elinor said. She smiled. “You said once that you and I would one day search for my daughter. Now is that chance. I know how this crown has weighed upon your head since before your father died. Do not let this crown poison you so now. Give it up to Sebastian.”

“My father just died and you’re asking me to forfeit my right to the throne?” Edward asked. He looked up at Sebastian, who looked to actually be crying by their father’s door.

He’d become a second William. To see him on the throne would be putting Avarencia to death.

“I can’t put Sebastian on the throne,” Edward said.

“Yes, you can,” Elinor said. “You have a choice here. You are your own person. Do you want to let this crown rule your life? Or do you want peace?”

Edward sighed. “I don’t want this crown, no. Sebastian will run this country to the ground though.”

“That is not your problem. You can stay on as counsel for the king, but you don’t owe this kingdom your life. Please, do this for me,” Elinor pleaded. “I don’t want to be queen. You don’t want to be king. This throne is cursed. Sebastian’s already cursed. Give it to him.”

“I can’t,” Edward said. “It should be my burden.”

“Do you want the throne?” Elinor asked.

After a while, Edward said, “No.”

“Then don’t take it,” Elinor said.

After a while, Edward called in the most important people to speak with. They were ready to anoint him as king, and the coronation to be in the next few months when Edward held his hands up.

“I thank you all for following my father’s last words, but I would like to say a few things. As selfish as this is, I do not think I am fit for this crown. I do not think my wife and I are capable to help the crown in ways it needs. As selfish as this decision is, I know I am leaving my brother in a situation that is precarious, but I know he will handle it with the utmost care that has been instilled in him since birth.”

After about an hour of confusion, Sebastian sat upon his father’s throne with the crown on his head. His face unemotional, he called out his first rule of business.

“My first order of business is finding my sister who has been missing these last six years. I know it is unlikely that she is still living, but it would be a comfort to my family to have her bones at least to bury.

“My next order of business is to order the trials of the Lovells that sit in the dungeons for treason. I would like an answer back by the time we return with news about Cecily. That is all for now.”

He dismissed the people and told Edward to get Kurt from the chamber in the prisoner’s tower.

They walked into a room with a map of their world spread out. He watched Kurt fidget and noticed how much weight he’d lost from being in the tower. His stomach knotted with guilt before he pushed it away.

“Where is the rebel camp?”

Kurt shook his head. “I—I’m not sure. Raoul said that they would likely settle closer to Avarencia. It would be less noticeable to those who believed they would move far away.”

“Then we move at dawn on the ground and get my sister.”

  
  


“She’s not here, Your Majesty,” one knight said. His hand settled on his sword in case any rebels ambushed them like before. “This ground hasn’t been used in some time.”

Sebastian turned to look at Kurt cowering behind Edward. He stalked over and yanked him in front of everyone. “Where is she?” he said loud enough for everyone to hear.

“I don’t know! I haven’t talked to him since that letter you read! I only know this is where they’re supposed to be. Please, Sebastian, have mercy. I—I love you!” Kurt looked at the ground, his chapped lips shivering.

“I am Your Majesty now. This crown gives me power.” Sebastian pointed to the crown. “And you’re going right back into that cell. Do you understand?”

Kurt sobbed and continued asking for mercy as he ordered Edward to tie him to the horse he’d ridden on. Kurt was to walk all the way back to Avarencia. A penance walk, Sebastian called it.

He sighed and tipped his head back. He could almost feel his father’s voice tickling his ear as he congratulated him on a job well done. Love was only weakness.

  
  


He jerked Kurt into the chamber and threw him in. Sebastian smirked at the sound of bones hitting the ground. Good. Let him bruise for what he’d done to him.

Kurt looked up, his lip bleeding. The room was dark, and it took a lot of effort on Sebastian’s part to actually see Kurt.

His body shook from lack of food and water. “Please, Your Majesty, I beseech you—”

“You will be executed for what you’ve done.”

“I love you,” Kurt said. Sebastian turned away and blinked tears. His heart told him to forgive Kurt and let him go. Exile him, just don’t do this.

Then he heard his father’s voice telling him what a good king he was being.

“And I despise your soul for what you’ve done to me.” Sebastian smoothed his hands over his armor. “Now I have a coronation to prepare for.”

He left Kurt’s cell and ignored the sobbing that echoed throughout the hallway as he walked down the stairs to the bottom of the tower. He wondered if Kurt would look out of the window and see his coronation. Maybe he would. Then he could see what man he’d made Sebastian out to be.


	25. Home

_ “ _ _ It takes one person to forgive, it takes two people to be reunited.” -- Lewis B. Smedes _

 

Cecily stumbled out from beyond the trees. She glanced at her scratched arms and legs before running a shaking hand through her hair. She could feel twigs sticking in the rat’s nest that was her hair and wondered how much longer until she could get a warm bath.

“This is where our paths end, Princess,” Tobyn said. He began to turn away from the view of the castle. “I’ve gotten you home.”

“Thank you, Tobyn,” Cecily said. “I shall never forget the help you’ve graced me with. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

She turned back and took in the castle. It’d taken about another half a year before she made it here and she was going to enjoy the view. The sun was beginning to rise and the shadow it cast on the castle made her smile. This was her home, and she hadn’t seen it for over six and a half years now. The last she’d seen it was when she was being pulled away from it in that cage. She shuddered at the thought of her last memory here.

She’d done it.

She’d made it home.

With the help of Tobyn, Cecily now was able to begin the trek up the king’s road to the gate where guards stood. As they noticed her approaching, they began to yell, “Halt!”

She stopped before them and remembered when these two guards had still been in training. She smiled and said, “I’m home.”

“Princess Cecily,” they said simultaneously. The one looked at the other. “Alert King Sebastian to her arrival. He will be most pleased.”

“Sebastian?” Cecily asked. But before she could hear a reply, the one guard began leading her through the city. She smiled at all the townspeople who stared in awe at her. Some children asked loudly who it was, but most adults knew exactly who it was.

“The princess.”

“She’s returned.”

“The gods have blessed us.”

“She lives.”

All bowed as low as they could, and Cecily smiled at all of them, her hand waving the way she’d been taught most of her life.

They came to the castle finally, and she looked up at the looming towers. She looked around the bailey and noted the tiny differences.

“Cecily,” she heard. She turned in time to feel Edward lifting her high into the air, his arms crushing her ribs. “You’re here!”

She smiled through tears and hugged him just as tightly. “Yes. I’m here. I’m home.”

Looking up, Cecily noticed a new presence. Behind Edward stood Elinor and Sebastian with a crown on his head. She raised an eyebrow at the crown but turned back into the hug. After a long time Edward released her to stare at her.

“You’ve grown so much.”

“As have you. You’ve grown old,” Cecily replied. She laughed.

“Did they harm you?” he asked. “We tried looking but—”

“I know,” Cecily replied. She smiled. “I’m fine. A friend helped me escape.”

“Friend?” Edward asked. “Who? They should be given a royal treatment.”

“He would not want that, unfortunately,” Cecily said. She shook her head. “An unsung hero. He deserves our thanks in prayers nonetheless.”

She didn’t want to tell him that the very man who kidnapped her was the same one who’d saved her. She didn’t want to explain all the horrors she’d faced while in the rebel camp, and she certainly didn’t want to tell of all the adventures on the pirate ship.

No, now all Cecily wanted to do was settle in at home for once.

“You shall be paraded around the city. The people must know their princess again,” Sebastian said. He came to stand next to Edward. As much as Cecily wanted to say she missed him, something was off about his presence. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but he felt colder to her.

Like William.

“How’s Mother and Father? I was told Father was dying…” Cecily drifted off.

“Father died about a half a year ago,” Sebastian said. “Edward renounced his claim to the throne and gave it to me.”

“You are king now?” she asked. She smiled softly. “And you said you’d never see the throne.”

Sebastian smiled thinly. Cecily pushed it aside and rushed towards him, her arms wrapping around him. She could feel how little he’d been eating and knew she’d have to fix that soon. He was king now. Whatever had happened since she’d been gone needed to be fixed. Though she was merely princess, Cecily made it her personal mission to make everything right since her absence.

“And mother?” she asked.

“Mother has moved into one of the properties she got with her dower. She writes that she loves the countryside,” Edward said. “We will all visit there once you’re ready.”

“Of course,” Cecily said. She looked at him and wondered why he looked so forlorn. Something was off with this reunion. With all the dreams she’d had about this moment, she never figured it’d be as… cold as this.

Cecily closed her eyes and dreamed of all the different scenarios. None had Sebastian sitting on Edward’s rightful throne, and none certainly had this air of tension surrounding it. No, something was going on, and Cecily knew it had something to do with her kidnapping. She remembered Tobyn telling her about the Lost Prince being locked up for treason and wondered if that had anything to do with it.

She looked up at Sebastian and noticed a distinct lack of happiness in his eyes. He stared at the prisoner’s tower with hurt filling his eyes before he looked back at her with that same fake smile.

Definitely something to do with the Lost Prince then. Cecily hugged Sebastian tighter before motioning for Jasper—who’d entered the party a few moments ago—and Elinor to come closer. She pulled everyone around her into a huge hug and let everyone get his or her feelings out.

They were a family again, right? Cecily deeply hoped things weren’t this far gone.


	26. Execution

_ “Is it possible to succeed without any act of betrayal?” -- Jean Renoir _

 

Alfonso had waited for her. Cecily’s heart grew so large hearing him say the words that tied them together for life. Since being home, she’d learned many things. One of which was how life seemed to stand still for most with her absence.

Knowing Alfonso had waited for her made Cecily’s wishes during the trip back real. With their first dance as husband and wife, she made sure her face was dry of tears as they shared a kiss at the end.

Sebastian clapped sardonically before standing. “It seems I’ve been a bad host. I haven’t presented my present to the bride and groom for their happiness.” He began to lead the way to a balcony. Cecily, Alfonso, Elinor, and Edward followed behind. She looked at Edward who gulped.

“This balcony is used to watch executions,” Edward whispered to her. “Whatever you see, Cecily, close your eyes. Keep them closed.”

“I’ve seen worse things than an execution,” Cecily replied. Inside, though, she was remembering when she plunged the knife into Raoul and the way her hands had stained with blood afterwards. She couldn’t seem to wash the blood off still.

They entered the balcony and Cecily noticed a family being led to the scaffold. A wife, husband, daughter, son, and a group of both men and women.

“Who are they?” Cecily gasped. Her eyes widened as the executioner took the husband, an elderly man who shouldn’t even be up there, and drug him up with a rope and began hanging him.

“They are called the Lovells. They aided one Kurt Hummel—or Powell if we’re being politically correct— in covering the rebels’ tracks. They betrayed the crown and deserve the most horrible of deaths.”

They disemboweled the husband as one executioner led the wife, daughter, and the other women from the group of others to a pit. They tied all of them to a post and lit the fire.

“See the one with red hair? That one is Francis Howard. He was Anaïs Lovell’s husband. Poet. I can’t wait to see him scream.” Sebastian pointed to the other people in the group of others. “The others are lovers of Manel Lovell. Seemed he loved having multiple lovers at a time. Not that I blame him.”

Sebastian laughed as the executioner quartered the first man’s body. The women’s screams echoed throughout the streets.

Cecily clenched her hands over her ears, her eyes wide. She stared at Elinor and Edward who looked just as distraught. She looked at Alfonso and he pulled her closer.

She closed her eyes for the rest of the executions, but she couldn’t escape the screams of all those people. She’d counted at least ten people died: the family and the lovers. She almost vomited on the balcony; that would have taken a lot to explain to Sebastian.

“Sebastian, that was completely unnecessary,” Edward said as soon as the last one was quartered. “Cecily just returned to us and you show her this for her wedding present? What the hell is wrong with you?”

“She enjoyed seeing those that helped her kidnapping torture. Didn’t you, Cecily?” Sebastian glared at her, threatening her to disagree.

Cecily gulped air and didn’t say yes or no.

“Well, if this is how you’re going to rule, then I think it’s best that Elinor and I take our leave to Nesolia.” Edward grasped Elinor who looked queasy herself. She massaged a hand across her belly, and Cecily wondered if that meant that she would soon be having Edward’s child.

“You don’t get to just leave my counsel,” Sebastian said.

“We only stayed to help find Cecily. She’s found. I’ve seen her married. It’s time Elinor and I move north,” Edward said. “Does His Majesty mind?”

“None at all,” Sebastian said. “I’d rather not have whores in my presence.”

“She’s not a whore!” Edward yelled. “You’re really one to talk, Sebastian. How many men have you taken to your bed since you threw Kurt into the tower?”

“Don’t talk about that!” Sebastian balled his hands up. “You dare speak to your king like this?”

“Enough!” Cecily ran in between her brothers, her hands outstretched. “This is my wedding night. Don’t fight.”

“She’s right,” Sebastian said. Smirking, he said, “Leave all you want. Just don’t come back.”

“I don’t plan on it,” Edward said. He led Elinor out of the balcony.

After they left, Sebastian turned back to watch the pyre that still flickered with life. Cecily gulped at the change in her brother. She clasped her hands together in front of her, her thumbs rubbing one another in thought.

This man was not her brother. Whoever this person was, her brother was long gone.

Cecily gulped inaudibly. She shot a look to Alfonso who walked over and guided her from the balcony. The entire way to their new room together, Cecily thought over this new person.

Her heart sped and her body went numb with the revelation that Sebastian Smythe had no qualms with overdoing her father’s rule. He was another William Smythe, and Cecily’s heart stopped at the thought of where his rule would take them.


	27. Monster

_ “Dying is easy, it's living that scares me to death.” -- Annie Lennox _

 

Cecily sat with her hands in her lap. She stared at the food sitting in front of her with tears budding in her eyes. She refused to stare at her brother—His Majesty—for fear that she might instead see her father there.

“You haven’t touched your food,” Sebastian said. “Eat.”

“I am not hungry,” Cecily said.

“Perhaps it is a sign that you and Alfonso will grace us with a child soon. I’m sure he’s looking forward to that,” Sebastian replied.

No, it was anything but that, Cecily was sure. She had just seen a family decimated due to her brother’s hand, and he hadn’t even blinked about it. She brought a shaking hand up to the plate in front of her and pulled a piece of bread apart and nibbled.

“About yesterday,” Cecily began.

“What about it?”

Shivers tingled down her spine. She pushed it aside though to focus on what she really wanted to know. “They say that any day now you will execute the Lost Prince. Is that so?”

“That is none of my sister’s concern,” he replied.

“He is the Lost Prince, Sebastian—”

“I am Your Majesty,” Sebastian said. “And you would do well to remember that.”

Cecily closed her eyes. “Your Majesty, if I may, I beg that you rethink your decision. The Lost Prince is an avid part of the rebellion and to murder him so recklessly—”

“Executed for crimes against the Avarecian throne. He helped in your kidnapping, Cecily.”

“The servants speak as if you two loved one another,” Cecily said. She looked up finally, her jaw set. She watched Sebastian’s cold exterior crumble beneath her eyes for just a second before he pulled himself back in place. “And yet now you wish to kill him?”

“He betrayed his own crown, and worst of all he betrayed—” Sebastian stopped. “This discussion is over. He dies, Cecily, and that is that.”

Standing, Sebastian stepped out of the room and left Cecily sitting at the table.

She knew what she had to do, however.

“My lady?” a meek servant asked. She stepped next to Cecily and motioned to the food still on her plate. “The king has left and you’ve yet to touch your food.”

“Oh, yes. I was not very hungry. Be sure to give extras to those you see fit,” Cecily said. She stood from her seat and walked out of the room. She walked out into the courtyard and towards the tower where criminals were locked up before trials and/or executions.

“My Lady Cecily, we cannot allow you to pass,” one of the guards said as she approached.

“I’m afraid I must insist. His Majesty, the king, has sent me to do his bidding in the tower. And we wouldn’t want to anger the king, would we?” Cecily smiled as sweetly as she could.

“O—of course,” the guard said. He motioned for the other guard to open the door. Once open, Cecily walked inside and began walking towards the staircase nearby. As she began her trek up those stairs, she began to hear groans and cries from certain inmates.

Squeezing her eyes shut, Cecily continued. She knew Sebastian would have put Kurt in the best jail cell the tower offered, no matter how much he hated Kurt at the moment. That jail cell was on the top floor and overlooked the area that the executions took place.

When Cecily made it to the top floor, she walked forward to the door that held Kurt. She motioned for the guard in front of the door to open it.

“My lady, I don’t believe His Majesty wishes this,” the guard began.

“I am here on the king’s orders,” Cecily replied. Nodding, the guard opened the door and allowed Cecily to walk inside.

“Am I to be executed now?” a voice said. The voice tried to sound high and poignant, but Cecily could hear a certain fatigue with it.

“No, I am merely here to talk,” Cecily replied. She motioned for the door to be closed and turned around to see the man her brother had fallen for.

His eyes were a mixture of steel grey and blue and though his hair hung low and his eyes sunken in, Cecily could see how someone like him could capture her brother’s heart.

“You… you are his sister,” Kurt said. He leaned forward. “Why are you here?”

“You love my brother,” Cecily said. “And he loves you.”

“Loved me.” Kurt said. He looked down at his dirt-covered feet. Cecily could see now that he’d lost a lot of weight as the clothes he wore hung off his skin-and-bones body. “I’m not sure how he feels now. If I may, could I ask why you’re here? I helped the rebels kidnap you all those years ago.”

“I came because I needed to know that you still felt for him what he feels for you. It’s obvious you both love one another and yet here you stay.”

“What of my family?” Kurt asked. He looked up at Cecily. “There was a commotion outside a couple days ago. They’re gone, aren’t they?”

Wringing her hands together, Cecily nodded after a moment. “A… present for my coming home and marrying my betrothed. Sebastian seemed to believe that I wanted to see that.”

Kurt nodded. He blinked back tears and looked at the window that one could look out of if they could gather enough stuff to stand on. Nothing sat near the windows though. 

“How is he?”

“He is secured as king now,” Cecily said. “My eldest brother stood down from the throne and moved to Nesolia with his wife. Sebastian took the throne before I made it home. It seems he’s a favorite of the people but… ruthless in other aspects. He would make my father proud.”

Kurt sighed. “I know. And it's all my fault...”

“You did what you thought was right,” Cecily replied. She moved to a chair next to a desk and sat down. She looked at the pieces of parchment on the desk—all written on—and wondered what he’d written about.

“I betrayed him. I led him right into his father’s arms. If I had left when I was supposed to, your brother would not be the man I’ve made him to be.”

“None of this is your fault,” Cecily said. “Sebastian is this way because of a lifelong goal to be viewed positively in our father’s eyes. He’s spent his entire life trying to get him to look at him and when he finally does, it’s because Sebastian is weak and ripe for him to change. My father was my father, but he was an evil man who should have been deposed when Edward first came of age.”

Kurt turned his hands in front of him. “When am I scheduled to be executed? I’m to be hanged, drawn, and quartered, no?”

Cecily felt her stomach beginning to turn at the thought. How Sebastian could be so cruel she did not know. This was the love of his life, and yet he was willing to easily do this to him.

Then again, here Kurt sat in a jail cell for what people have told to be at least one year.

“I am working on changing his mind,” Cecily said. “But he is being stubborn. I will see to it though that you are safe.”

Smiling bitterly, Kurt shook his head. “You are too kind to a traitor. I deserve all Sebastian does to me.”

“No, you don’t.” Cecily said. “If anyone deserves to die, it would be the rebel’s leader who raped Princess Lucretia Talbot and then later tried with me before I killed him myself. You, Kurt, are the Lost Prince. You are what people have been looking for since you went missing. To murder you so cruelly would bring war on my brother’s footsteps.

“My brother is hurt, I understand that, but he is also a king. And a king must be just in his rulings. He must think of his people as equals. To bring that carnage upon them would be too much. He would lose his throne.”

“You sound awfully confident, but I have made amends to die. I merely hope that the gods forgive me in the afterlife.”

“How can you speak like that?” Cecily felt tears sliding down her cheeks.

“Because it is Sebastian’s will to see me die. Who am I to argue with that? He is the king now, and whatever he commands, I will obey,” Kurt said. “This jail cell has held me for so long, perhaps my execution will bring me peace from the pain of this world.”

“I will save you,” Cecily said. “And then you will be free.”

The sound of a fist hitting the door jolted Kurt from his spot.

“I will save you,” Cecily said again. “I must go now.” She stood, curtsied and moved to the door.

“Why are you attempting to save me?” Kurt asked. “I should have tried harder to save you.”

“Because a man I met at the camp told me of how he came to join the rebellion. On the day that your mother escaped with you, during the beginning of the rebellion, his lover was murdered for simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time. He said he ventured through the rest of life with only half a heart, and I could never bear to have my brother that way. Too many people in this life lose their true loves and if I can save one, then that means I’ve succeeded in something.”

Kurt smiled and nodded. “Good luck to you.”

The door opened, and the guards began to escort Cecily out of the tower. When she made it back to the courtyard, she saw a man on the scaffold used for beheadings scraping away at the dried blood on the block and the wood. She gulped and hurried to find Sebastian.

When she found him, he was finishing up signing papers.

“Yes?” he asked.

“Do you truly mean to destroy the only source of happiness for you?” Cecily asked. “Do you wish to push yourself down so low just to be a spitting image of Father?”

“What are you talking about?” Sebastian asked.

“Kurt. You mean to have him executed tomorrow. They only ever clean the scaffold when there’s an execution to happen,” Cecily said. “You can’t do this.”

“Why? Because you promised him you would save him? Perhaps you shouldn’t go around throwing promises you can’t keep.” Sebastian stood.

“He will be hanged, drawn, and quartered unless you stop this!” Cecily moved in front of the doorway. “He is too precious a person to murder, Sebastian. Do not do this.”

Sebastian stepped next to her. He smirked down at her and Cecily gulped. Her brother was no more, she told herself. This smirk was the work of her father, and her father alone.

Amazing how he still managed to affect their lives from the grave.

“It is a good thing then that I am king and you are not queen,” he said. “Perhaps you should return to Alfonso and work on your own family.”

“You are my family, Sebastian. If you do this, you will lose Kurt and myself. I will leave and never return. Do you truly want to be alone?” Cecily asked.

“I am the king of Avarencia,” Sebastian replied. “I can have anyone I want. Kurt is replaceable.” But even as he spoke that, his eyes wavered and his voice hitched at the end of that sentence. “He is a traitor, and he will die. There’s nothing more to be said about this.”

Sebastian pushed Cecily out of the doorway and stepped around her. He motioned and before Cecily could collapse from the utter failure that was filling her, Alfonso caught her and began to move her to their bedroom.

“He is as cold as ice,” she whispered. “He is a monster. A monster who will ruin himself.”


	28. Mistake

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for major character death in this chapter. Just bare with me. It'll all be worth it, I promise!

_ “To everything there is a season, and / a time to every purpose under heaven: / A time to be born, and / a time to die; / a time to plant, and / a time to pluck up / that which is planted; / A time to kill, and / a time to heal; / a time to break down, and / a time to build up; / A time to weep, and / a time to laugh; / a time to mourn, and / a time to dance; / A time to cast away stones, and / a time to gather stones together; / a time to embrace, and / a time to refrain from embracing; / A time to get, and / a time to lose; / a time to keep, and / a time to cast away; / A time to rend, and / a time to sew; / a time to keep silence, and / a time to speak; / A time to love, and / a time to hate; / a time of war; and / a time of peace.” -- Ecclesiastes 3:1 _

 

Time slowed for Cecily as she ran down the winding hallways. Running against time, life, death. She skirted around a corner and kept running until she ran into her husband’s arms.

“Alfonso! Alfonso! You have to stop this!” Cecily gasped for breath, her heart beating out of her chest.

“Cecily, you are speaking madness,” Alfonso said. “I cannot stop this.”

“You must! He will kill his soul mate, Alfonso. If Kurt dies, my brother will never be the same,” Cecily replied. “If that is not enough for you, then think of the rebellion. Kurt dies, the rebellion moves to our doorstep, and we will not be able to stop it.”

Grasping her face in his hands, Alfonso held her still. He watched tears stream down her face and her hiccups as she tried to breathe. “What shall I do?”

She took one of his hands and began the trek down the hallways yet again until they reached the spiral staircase. They began running up until they reached the top floor. Cecily pulled Alfonso with her until she reached the balcony the king was to stand for executions.

Sebastian was already standing there with his hand in the air.

“Sebastian, stop!” Cecily yelled.

Without turning, Sebastian said, “I have to do this, Cecily.”

“You do this, and you further prove that you are not my brother,” Cecily said. She rushed to the balcony and took in the sight. They already had Kurt in position. The sword was raised above his head, and the executioner—with a black leather hood covering the face that matched the rest of the outfit—was ready to follow Sebastian’s command.

“He has to pay for what he did,” Sebastian said. Any emotion that Cecily would have normally heard from his voice was now gone. Before her seemed to stand a cold hard shell of her brother and she didn’t know what to do.

“He is your soulmate. Sebastian. You do this, and you will never recover from it,” Cecily said. “He never hurt anybody.”

“He committed high treason against the kingdom,” Sebastian said. His hand began to shake.

Cecily felt Alfonso move behind her and wrap his arms around her. Her tears began to pour out at a faster rate. She could barely breathe as is.

“Kurt is the Lost Prince, Sebastian. You kill him, and the rebellion moves to your front door. There will be no stopping it. It will be on your conscious and—”

“And what?”

“If you do this, you will lose your only sibling left,” Cecily said. “You’ve already lost Edward after what you did to that family once I returned. Do not lose me too.”

“Edward made his choice, and you can make yours. Kurt dies by the law,” Sebastian said.

“Then banish him,” Cecily said. She gasped for breaths while staring wide-eyed at Sebastian. “He has not done anything wrong to warrant his death.”

“How about he betrayed me?” Sebastian said. “He betrayed my family’s trust, and I cannot have that.”

Cecily didn’t know how else to respond other than to fall to her knees, her right hand grasping part of the balcony. “Please, Sebastian. You do not want this on your conscious. You will regret this.”

Alfonso, as if knowing, knelt down and pulled Cecily to him. He murmured in her ear, “Turn away, Cecily. You do not want to see this.”

“Sebastian… Please.” Cecily felt tears blur her vision, but even if she couldn’t see fully, she could make out the shape of his hand falling in the motion to give the command to the executioner. Her skin went numb, the air around her cold and her breath gone. She closed her eyes against Alfonso’s chest and let everything go.

Her brother was no more. Only an incarnation of her father.

When she finally moved, it was by Alfonso helping her to her feet and pulling her back into the castle. They’d made it down the hallway when she caught sight of Sebastian. Anger surging, Cecily charged down the hallway.

“You son of a bitch!” Cecily balled up a fist and swung. She felt his head move with the force of the swing and felt a surge of victory at that. “You are not my brother! You are not my Sebastian!”

“Enough!” Sebastian yelled. “It is done, you insipid woman.”

“No, it is not done, you insipid, spiteful man,” Cecily replied. “I told you, I told you—”

“Alfonso, see my sister from my presence before she is locked up,” Sebastian said.

As Alfonso was leading Cecily away, she turned and asked, “What changed while I was away, Sebastian? You used to be so full of life; now you’re just like Father. Except he at least had someone that cared for him.”

Cecily crumpled to the floor as her heart cracked at Sebastian’s lack of emotion.

When she finally awoke back in her and Alfonso’s room, she looked at him staring at her worryingly.

“Sebastian thinks you are with child,” he said.

“Don’t be stupid, Alfonso, we haven’t been married that long,” she said.

“Hasn’t stopped others. We’ve been married for a couple of months now.” Cecily looked away.

As she fiddled with the bed sheets wrapped around her, she said, “I want to go home.”

“You are home.”

“This is not my home,” she said. “It was never my home.”

“Then where do you want to go?” Alfonso asked. He moved closer to her and grasped one of her hands.

“Suyid,” she said. “I want to go to your home, Alfonso. I never want to see this place again. It is cursed here, and I don’t want to be here any longer.”

Alfonso’s dark eyes met hers. He nodded and wiped the tears from her cheek. He stood and said, “I will tell the King.”

“I will pack,” she said. She moved to stand.

As Alfonso left to do that, she began to pull their clothes into different suitcases. As different outfits were pushed into the suitcases, Alfonso came back.

“He accepted,” he said. “I sent a bird to Suyid. I should hear back within the morning.”

 

Within the next months, Cecily and Alfonso were moved to Suyid. The sun there burned Cecily for quite some time, but as time changed she became more and more used to it. She felt herself change yet again.

But perhaps that came with children.

Time passed. Cecily watched as her and Alfonso’s three beautiful children grew. She watched her sister-in-law Sophie dedicate herself to the temples and perish within those walls for those same gods and goddesses. She watched her brothers from afar, never seeing either again after that fateful day.

Ah, that fateful day.

The people speak of it still to this day. Cecily yet heard about the utter silence that fell as the sword swung, and how everyone felt something die when they too learned that it had indeed been the Lost Prince who had been killed.

The rebellion had reached her brother’s footsteps within months of her leaving. It was as if a goddess had seen her cries for help and stopped the rebellion until after they had been safely from Avarencia. From the stories, it had been a gory day that almost totaled the city. Her brother had almost died without issue.

After that battle, Sebastian married Princess Isabella of Tiavor, Kurt’s cousin. From what Cecily heard, they now had a son and a daughter. Part of Cecily wanted to ask how he could even think to do that to his soulmate, but the other part of her knew exactly why she was chosen.

Edward had passed recently in Nesolia. He followed Elinor only by a few months. Cecily liked to think that the two had learned to love one another in the end.

“Mother?”

“Yes, sweetie?” Cecily turned from looking at the sky to her daughter and princess of Suyid, Katherine.

“You seemed lost in thought,” she said.

“Oh, one thing you will learn as you age, my dear daughter, is that you always lose yourself in thoughts,” Cecily replied. She smiled. “It’s moments like these that pull me from them though.”

“The ceremony is starting soon,” she said.

Alfonso had left her too. He’d caught what the medics said was an infection from a scrape and then just died the next day. Cecily was alone now, but she could never let her daughter or sons know this. Her eldest son sat on Suyid’s throne and posed to marry a princess from across the seas. He didn’t need this on his shoulders.

Cecily stood with as much ease as she could these days and followed Katherine down the steps until they reached the carriage made to carry her family through Alfonso’s death ceremony. This was the first death ceremony she had to attend; Cecily hardly knew if she could keep herself together.

She had detested Alfonso at first. She’d been so steadfast against ever marrying that she had closed herself from him. But then he’d won her over slowly and she learned to love him like he was her soul mate. Perhaps he was. Either way, he was gone now, and he was closest thing she had to family left besides Sebastian.

In times like these she wondered how he was. Did he ever change, or was he still acting like their father?

Cecily didn’t know how much longer she had with this world. If anything, she would at least see her children married before leaving to join the others. Maybe there she would see Kurt again and get to say how sorry she was for not being able to fix things like she’d promised.

“Mother, you’re crying,” Katherine pointed out.

“Oh, sorry, sweetie,” Cecily replied. She wiped the tear before realizing that she actually had to wipe her own tears now. For so long now it seemed Alfonso was always there to wipe them for her, and now he was gone. More tears began to rush forth, and though she wasn’t crying like that day all those years ago, sadness overcame her still.

“I’m sorry, it’s just—I just realized—I just remembered…” Cecily trailed off.

“We understand.” It was then that Cecily really took in her children. All three of them had tears in their eyes (even though both her sons were trying to keep her from noticing). “We miss him too.”


	29. Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, warnings for major character death. Again, please stick with me; it'll all be worth it!

_ “For God's sake, let us sit upon the ground, _

_ And tell sad stories of the death of kings: _

_ How some have been depos'd, some slain in war, _

_ Some haunted by the ghosts they have depos'd; _

_ Some poison'd by their wives, some sleeping kill'd; _

_ All murder'd” - Richard II, Act III, Scene II _

 

He laid there, his body aching from age and the nasty cold taking its toll on his body. Beside his deathbed sat his two children—Anne and Richard—along with his wife. He could so clearly see Kurt in her wrinkled face.

Sebastian wished his sister or any of the other people he’d pushed away all those years ago were here.

“Father?” Anne asked. “What is wrong?”

Sebastian took in his family’s tears. He was too weak to cry himself; he wished his body didn’t feel as if tons of bricks laid on him. His body shook from how much effort it took to breathe. 

“Isabella,” Sebastian wheezed out. He wanted so much to tell his wife that he’d come to care for her. He might not have loved her the way he had others—Kurt—but he appreciated her nonetheless. If that was as close as he’d ever come to loving someone in this life, then Sebastian was happy to go out this way. “Call the priest. It’s time.”

“No, sweetie,” Isabella replied. “Give it a few more hours. It’s a mere cold, you’ll be fine.”

“In a few hours I will be dead, Isabella. Call the priest in. I need to confess my sins before I am to die.”

Nodding, Isabella stood. She motioned for her children to leave the room and walked out herself. Moments passed and the priest walked in. Sebastian did a double take; the priest before him looked so much like his brother Edward that it hurt to look.

“Your Majesty,” the priest said. “I am here to listen to your sins.”

“You are Edward’s child,” Sebastian said. “I didn’t even know he had children with Elinor.”

“Edward Smythe was my father, yes,” the priest said. “And Elinor was my mother. But, I am here for you.”

“Yes, yes, I suppose so.” Sebastian shook his head. He turned to the window in his room. “I have lots to—”

Sebastian stopped as his sister seemed to materialize out of thin air. She stood no older than seventeen, the last time he had truly seen his sister before so much happened. Her hair hung low with waves through the hair. The dress she wore resembled the one she’d worn that night of her birthday ball.

She held out her hand and motioned for him to come. As if the weight moved, Sebastian no longer felt the pain he’d felt before.

“N—no,” Sebastian said. “I’ve yet to confess, Cecily.”

“All things are forgiven if you forgive what you’ve done in this life,” she said. She moved forward and stepped to the side as another being materialized in front of Sebastian.

“Kurt,” Sebastian whispered. Everything flashed before his eyes: their first night together, the first time he came to realize he could be happy with Kurt, all that happened, his betrayal, and the immense pain that happened after he brutally slayed him in the name of justice.

He gasped for air and he fought the tears that were cascading down his face. “Kurt, I’m so sorry. I should have listened. I—”

Smiling, Kurt shook his head. “It is fine. We will have another chance. Come along now. Your time in this world is done.”

“I have yet to confess,” Sebastian said. He turned back to the priest who hadn’t moved an inch since he’d spotted Cecily. His face was still turned to Sebastian waiting to hear Sebastian’s confession.

“I must cleanse myself of my sins,” he whispered. He turned back to find Edward standing beside Cecily with Elinor at his side. Beside them stood his mother, Jasper, Alfonso (who stood beside Cecily as well), and even the Lovells.

“Come along, Sebastian,” Edward said. “We haven’t all day.”

“Lady Mother? Cecily? Edward? But… I haven’t told my children the truth… they need to know about the curse of the throne. How much power they’re taking on. Their rule must be just and fair. I—”

Kurt took a step forward. Sebastian found himself standing from his deathbed without the strain that it normally would have cost him. He looked down to find himself the ripe age of nineteen and in the clothes he had worn to the ball.

Kurt said, “You did not fail them. They will rule just fine on their own. You’ve left a good legacy.”

“What legacy?” Sebastian scoffed. “I failed you. I failed my family. I failed this kingdom almost.” He felt tears beginning to fall. “I have to warn them.”

“Sebastian, what do you regret?” Kurt asked.

Looking into Kurt’s glasz eyes, he said, “Losing you. Killing the Lovells and their loved ones. Letting my sister leave my side when I should have kept her close to me. Letting Edward give me the throne when it should have been his all along.” In a smaller voice, Sebastian said, “Letting my father manipulate me and my ruling so easily.”

Edward stepped forward. “And…”

“Not being strong enough,” Sebastian replied. He stared at his big brother with all the love and admiration he still held for him to this day.

“And do you feel better?” Cecily asked. She grasped Alfonso’s hand and stepped forward as well. It was like they were getting closer and closer to him.

Sebastian shook his head. “No.”

“All will feel right when you are with us.” Kurt held out his hand like Cecily had earlier. “There will be other chances for us. For all of us. Give yourself a chance. It is time to go now.”

“But I failed you in this life,” Sebastian said. His voice barely made it to his own ears. “Why am I not being punished for that?”

“Because it is now time for peace,” Sebastian’s mother said. “You no longer have to feel punished for your choices. It is time to move on.”

“Lady Mother, I am afraid though.” Sebastian’s hands shook. “What if I’ve not repented my sins?”

“It is time now, Sebastian.” Kurt held out his hand. “I promise, I won’t let go of you.”

“We’ll be together again?” Sebastian asked. His eyes widened and shined with tears. If he could be with Kurt again, he would give up all of this world. If only to be with him again and to do it right this time.

Kurt nodded.

Reaching, Sebastian grasped Kurt’s hand and let him lead him away from the bed. He looked back long enough to see his body lying there as if a corpse; he knew he walked without a stagger he’d had before and turned to Kurt. He grasped Kurt’s hand tighter and nodded.

A light spread between them and all the others and when it was gone all there was left was the priest and a corpse newly dead.

 


	30. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You made it! I told you it would all be worth it! If you have any questions, feel free to ask me on [Tumblr](http://osh-my-prince.tumblr.com)!

_ "Hear my soul speak: _

_ The very instant that I saw you, did _

_ My heart fly to your service." – The Tempest, Act III, Scene I _

 

**Epilogue**

 

“Who’s really great?” Kurt asks. His arms tingle at the thought of someone blatantly flirting with Blaine. They’d only just started dating and yet here he is dealing with this.

“Uh,” Blaine sputters as he stares pleadingly up at Kurt. “You!”

Kurt turns to the person and meets the most peculiar set of eyes he’d ever set his own upon. Kurt’s stomach drops and he swears he’s seen this boy before. The boy before him goes to Dalton (the uniform is enough to give him away), but Kurt knows he’d never seen him there.

If Kurt ever believed in a thing like past lives, he’d almost say he’d met him before. He rubs the scar on the left side of his neck.

“Pleasure,” Kurt says as he extends his hand. Their hands shake, and as they do so, for some reason a name reiterates in his mind.

Sebastian.


End file.
